A laptop ignited a small fire on an American Airlines flight last Friday before the plane had even left the gate in San Francisco. The crew attempted to evacuate the Airbus A321 calmly as the cabin filled with smoke, but chaos ensued as passengers pushed and shoved their way to the exits. One passenger threw the burning laptop onto the tarmac.
Passenger Recounts Emergency Evacuation after Laptop Fire Injures 3
The fire started when a laptop inside a bag stowed beneath a seat suddenly caught fire. Oliver Jankai, the passenger sitting in that seat, reported that he could smell something burning just before the blaze erupted. The subsequent evacuation turned into a stampede. Passengers ignored instructions and took their belongings with them as they tried to exit the aircraft, causing more panic.
The back of the cabin filled with smoke, prompting Jankai to take action. Unable to find a fire extinguisher, his son Jan opened an emergency exit to bring in fresh air. Jankai then grabbed the burning bag and hurled it out of the Airbus. He explained to WFOR, “It was still a little bit on fire, so we tried to step it out. I tried to throw it out, a flight crewmember said ‘No, don’t throw it out.’ My son dropped it because he took it before and then I said ‘No, okay.’ And then, I shot it out of the plane.”
All passengers on the American Airlines flight to Miami were rebooked on another flight the following day. Fortunately, no one was injured during the chaotic evacuation. It’s important to remember that stopping in the aisle to grab something from the overhead bin can block others from moving towards the exit.
Recalling another incident, Japan Airlines Flight 516 in January saw a perfectly executed evacuation. The JAF Airbus A350 collided with a Japanese Coast Guard plane while landing at Haneda Airport. All 367 passengers and 12 crew members evacuated the aircraft in just 18 minutes as it caught fire.
This article originally appeared on Jalopnik.