Chaos erupted on Friday, November 15, when passengers aboard Southwest Airlines Flight 3316 were forced to evacuate the aircraft after a cell phone caught fire, igniting one of the plane's seats. The Boeing 737-700 was parked at Denver International Airport, preparing to take off for Houston, Texas, when the incident occurred. Eyewitnesses reported seeing smoke billowing from the back of the cabin just moments before the urgent cries of "Fire!" filled the air.
Jennifer Rodgers, one of the passengers, vividly recalled the panic as smoke filled the cabin. "Everybody saw the smoke, because it kind of filled the back of the cabin," she told CBS News. It wasn't long before others joined her to echo the alarm: "Then somebody screamed 'Fire.'" Immediately, passengers began scrambling to understand the situation.
Despite the confusion, the crew acted swiftly and directed passengers to evacuate the aircraft. Those at the front exited through the jet bridge, but the rear passengers had to use emergency slides. "There’s nowhere to go, because they were exiting through the back of the plane. And so I kind of got pushed around a little bit," shared Jaquetta Anderson, who was also on the flight. Many passengers ignored instructions to leave their belongings behind, as they attempted to retrieve their luggage even amid the chaos.
Fortunately, most passengers managed to escape unharmed. The fire, which began when the cell phone's lithium-ion battery overheated, was extinguished quickly by the flight crew using fire extinguishers. Nonetheless, one passenger suffered minor injuries during the evacuation, and the individual whose phone ignited the blaze required treatment for burns.
The FAA has confirmed it will investigate the incident, emphasizing the importance of safety when it involves personal electronic devices on board flights. According to the FAA's data, there have been over 500 verified incidents involving lithium batteries causing smoke or fire on flights since 2006, with 32 of these occurring just this year alone.
The airline's spokesperson remarked, "Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees. The incident remains under investigation." Meanwhile, other passengers expressed their relief at the outcome, especially since they were still on the ground when the incident occurred. Seth Anderson, another passenger, noted gratefully, "I can’t think enough about the little delay we had at the beginning. That really helped us keep on the ground. We would have been up in the air by the time the fire started if it weren’t for it."
The incident was not isolated. Just last month, passengers at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport faced their own scare when smoke filled the jet bridge due to another overheating power bank. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
This harrowing episode serves as yet another reminder of the potential dangers of lithium batteries and electronic devices during air travel. The FAA has reinforced guidelines indicating the safest practice for traveling with such devices is to keep them with you inside the cabin, where crew members are trained to respond quickly to incidents of smoke or fire.
While Flight 3316 eventually took off and arrived at Houston three hours late, the frightening experience highlighted the need for vigilance among passengers and the importance of following safety protocols. Emergency situations like these are stark reminders of how quickly things can escalate, and how preparedness is key to ensuring everyone’s safety.
