A JetBlue Airways flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport bound for San Francisco made an emergency landing in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Tuesday night when a passenger's laptop lithium battery caught fire.
The laptop was not in use at the time but was stored in a backpack in an overhead bin. This might have made the situation even worse-being stored in a compact place with potentially other flammable materials, including clothing.
According to CBS-TV New York, passengers on the flight noticed the smoke about halfway through the trip.
JetBlue, in a statement, said the flight was diverted "following reports of smoke emitting from a carry-on bag holding an electronic device."
"I was stunned," said passenger Kat Honniball. "I knew something was going to happen because you know, lithium batteries catching on fire when you're up at 38,000 feet, you can't help but think you gotta do something, so I was prepared for it."
JetBlue also emphasized that the incident did not involve terrorism, coming at a time when the Department of Homeland Security is considering a ban on laptops on flights to and from the United States.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Laptop Ban Expansion Holds Hidden Problems [/READMORE]
No injuries were reported, and the fire was extinguished before the plane landed safely about 8:10 p.m. at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids after taking off from JFK at about 5:15 p.m.
A spokesperson at the airport said the flight resumed approximately 40 minutes later after fire crews boarded the plane and removed the laptop.
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