IndiGo is India’s biggest airline, and on Sunday one of its planes turned into a flying fire drill. Flight 6E6115 was headed from Delhi to Chennai when a passenger’s power bank burst into flames inside an overhead bin, 35,000 feet in the air.
The flight had left Delhi around 1:30 in the afternoon. About halfway through the two and a half hour trip, smoke started pouring out of the overhead compartment. Then the flames showed up.
Video from inside the cabin shows passengers screaming and grabbing their bags to smother the fire while it licked out of the bin. The crew got there fast with fire extinguishers and put it out.
The pilots turned the plane toward Hyderabad and landed safely around 3:30. Nobody was hurt. IndiGo sent another plane to finish the trip to Chennai.
“The cabin crew responded promptly and the situation was brought under control. In line with established protocols, the pilots diverted the flight and landed safely at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad.” — IndiGo statement
Here is the part that matters for your next flight. Power banks are supposed to stay in your carry-on, within reach, never stowed in the overhead bin. India’s aviation regulator has said it for years. Lithium batteries can go into thermal runaway, which is a polite way of saying they turn into a blowtorch with no warning.
Check your bag. Then check it again.
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