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FORT MYERS, Fla. (WFLA) — A Delta flight bound for Fort Lauderdale made an emergency landing Monday after a passenger’s personal battery caught fire mid-flight and began filling the cabin with smoke.
Flight 1334 from Atlanta was not far from its destination when the fire happened.
Flight attendants quickly extinguished the burning device, which, in a statement provided to NBC affiliate WBBH, Delta Air Lines said was believed to be a personal battery.
The crew was forced to divert to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers due to lingering smoke.
The pilot said over the radio, “OK, so the uh, the backpack has been contained. We think it was a lithium, uhh, battery that uh, caused the smoke and the fire. It’s in a containment bag,” in audio from liveatc.net.
Officials said the plane landed safely in Fort Myers, and no injuries were reported among the 185 passengers and six crew members onboard.
“We appreciate the quick work and actions by our people to follow their training, and we apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement.
The airline said it was working to help passengers reach their destinations as quickly as possible following the diversion. The Boeing 757-200 was taken out of service for further inspection.