An American Airlines flight bound for Phoenix had an unexpected change of plans when a passenger's device caught fire on board, prompting the plane to divert to Virginia. The incident occurred Saturday morning on Flight 357, which took off from Philadelphia International Airport and was headed for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The aircraft, an Airbus A321, carried 160 customers and six crew members, all of whom landed safely at Washington Dulles International Airport just before the noon hour.
The emergency detour was caused by a fire that started in one of the passenger rows. Reporting on the event, Your Valley noted the presence of officials who say the fiery disturbance was quickly contained before the plane made its unscheduled landing. With the situation under control, no injuries were reported.
Investigations into the cause of the fire have been initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration. While details have been scarce, ABC15 stated in their coverage that the fire originated from "a passenger's device reportedly caught fire." American Airlines and the FAA are cooperating fully to unravel the events that led up to the diversion.
Following the incident, no further disruptions to the airlines' service were announced. The FAA has promised to provide more information once their inquiry reaches a conclusion.
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