A Southwest Airlines flight departing El Paso for Houston on Wednesday endured a lengthy delay after a passenger’s phone burst into flames moments before takeoff, prompting a full evacuation and a change of aircraft.
Flight 2112, originally scheduled to depart El Paso International Airport at 7:20 a.m. local time, was halted during its taxi toward the runway when the incident occurred. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the plane returned to the gate around 7:50 a.m. following what was officially labeled as a “passenger disturbance.”
In a statement given to the National Post, the FAA explained, “Southwest Airlines Flight 2112 returned to its gate at El Paso International Airport in Texas around 7:50 a.m. local time on Wednesday, April 30, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance during their departure taxi.”
However, in a statement for the airline, a Southwest spokesperson shed further light on the actual cause of the issue. "Southwest Airlines Flight 2112 returned to the gate at El Paso International Airport yesterday morning after the battery inside a passenger's cell phone apparently ignited," the spokesperson said. “The Flight Crew quickly extinguished (the fire) and the other passengers disembarked normally at the gate. Southwest is working with the appropriate federal and local investigative agencies.” They added, “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.”
Passengers waited nearly five hours before departing on a replacement aircraft at 12:09 p.m., ultimately arriving at Houston’s Hobby Airport at 3:01 p.m. after an otherwise normal flight.
This isn’t the first time the airline has dealt with a phone-related fire on board. In November 2024, a similar event occurred on another Houston-bound flight while still at the gate at Denver International Airport.
This isn’t the first time the airline has dealt with a phone-related fire on board. In November 2024, a similar event occurred on another Houston-bound flight while still at the gate at Denver International Airport. In that instance, emergency slides were deployed for passengers in the plane’s rear section, and one person was treated for minor injuries, while the owner of the phone suffered burns. However, no injuries were reported in this latest El Paso incident.
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