Created Thursday, Aug 26th 2021 16:53Z, last updated Thursday, Jul 21st 2022 04:35Z
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration N479AS performing flight
AS-751 from New Orleans,LA to Seattle,WA (USA) with 128 passengers and 6 crew, had safely landed on Seattle's runway 34L, had taxied towards the apron crossing both runways 34C and 34R and was on the apron waiting to move into the gate, when a passenger's smartphone caught fire. While cabin crew extinguished the fire and secured the remains of the device in a containment bag, the smoke emanating from the device forced the evacuation of the aircraft via slides.
The airport reported the Smartphone was a Samsung Galaxy A21. Two passengers were taken to a hospital for checks.
On Aug 26th 2021 the NTSB reported they rated the occurrence an accident and have opened an investigation.
On Aug 27th 2021 the NTSB added, that one passenger received serious, three others minor injuries as result of the accident involving a fire on the ground.
The aircraft returned to service on Aug 25th 2021 after about 32 hours on the ground in Seattle.
On Jul 20th 2022 the NTSB released their final report concluding the probable cause of the accident was:
The passenger’s use of the evacuation slide resulted in the serious injury.
The NTSB analysed:
Even though an overheated passenger cell phone was put into a battery containment bag (BCB) by the cabin crew, a large amount of smoke remained in the cabin with a strong acrid smell. As a result, the captain commanded an evacuation on taxiway A spot 6A at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Seattle Washington. One passenger broke their elbow while descending on the evacuation slide.
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