(AP File Photo)
A cell phone battery caused an inflight disruption after catching fire on a Delta Air Lines flight from Norfolk, Va. to Atlanta Friday morning.
According to The Virginian-Pilot, the fire started about 15 minutes after flight 2557’s departure.
Passenger Kristi Parrotte says she had just fallen asleep when she started to smell smoke and heard someone call out to crew. She says she was seated about two rows behind the fire and was able to see a plume of smoke coming from the seats.
"It wasn't a big flaming fire, it was more smoldering smoke," Parrotte told the Pilot. She says there was confusion among the flight attendants as they tried to locate the origin of the smoke.
"We're all up out of our seats wondering where the smoke was coming from and what to do," said Parrotte.
According to the passenger, retired military personnel aided the flight attendants in extinquising the fire by using a bottle of water until a fire extinguisher was located. Others helped passengers get out of the cabin area filled with smoke.
"The passengers all worked really well together," Parrotte said. "It was good to see."
Though there was some damage to the seats, no one was hurt during the incident and the smoke cleared out of the cabin within a few moments. Flight attendants said the owner has not been identified.
The type of phone involved in the cabin fire has not been released but the report comes amid the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s official recall of Samsung’s Note7 phone yesterday after numerous reports of the product overheating and catching fire.
At the departure gate in Norfolk, Parrotte says passengers were told to keep all Samsung Galaxy Note7 phones turned off and not to charge them. Another announcement was made after passengers boarded the plane. After the fire, a flight attendant told passengers to turn off all cell phones, regardless of make.
A Delta Air Lines representative was not immediately available for comment.
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