Power bank catches fire on Scoot flight from Hong Kong, extinguished by cabin crew

Scoot says no injuries reported after power bank catches fire on plane

A passenger said a power bank caught fire on a Scoot flight from Hong Kong, and cabin crew extinguished it.

In a video posted by the XiaoHongShu user, viewers could see the Scoot cabin crew putting an item inside a plastic bag on the floor.

Source: JaneZmmm on XiaoHongShu

‘Strong burning smell’ detected on Scoot flight

The netizen said the incident happened on a Scoot flight from Hong Kong to Singapore last Saturday (22 Nov).

As the plane was about to land, she detected a “strong burning smell” and thought that a laptop somewhere in front had “spontaneously combusted”.

Cabin crew took a long time to put out the fire using a fire extinguisher and water, she added.

Source: JaneZmmm on XiaoHongShu

After the plane landed, firefighters and medics boarded to assess whether everything was alright before passengers disembarked.

Cabin wall burnt by fire

Commenting on her post, another passenger shared a photo of a burn mark on the cabin wall.

She had seen this as she disembarked, she said.

Source: kelly[皱眉] on XiaoHongShu

Cabin crew seen dragging laptop bag into toilet

Speaking to The Straits Times (ST), the user who posted the video said she saw flight attendants rushing to get protective gloves, ice and a fire extinguisher.

They dragged a black laptop bag into the toilet, instructing passengers to remain seated and refrain from taking photos or videos, the 28-year-old woman added.

Passengers were informed of the fire only after the plane landed, causing “some panic” and discomfort due to the smell of smoke and chemicals.

From the burn marks on the cabin wall, she believed someone stowed the bag under a seat.

Overheated power bank caused ‘small flame’: Scoot

In a statement, Scoot told ST that the fire occurred on flight TR939 from Hong Kong to Singapore.

The airline confirmed that an overheated power bank caused the “small flame” in the cabin.

Cabin crew promptly extinguished it, with no injuries reported.

Source: FlyScoot on Facebook. Photo for illustration purposes only.

When the plane landed uneventfully in Singapore at 9.06pm on 22 Nov, airport emergency services were on standby, with all passengers and crew disembarking normally.

Scoot apologised for the disruption and inconvenience caused, saying that its top priority remained the safety of customers and crew.

Use of power banks banned on board Scoot since 1 April

The incident follows a slew of recent in-flight fires, most of which were suspected to be caused by power banks.

Last month, an Air China flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a lithium battery burst into flames inside an overhead compartment.

In March, a Hong Kong Airlines plane was similarly forced to land after a power bank on board allegedly caught fire.

Scoot and sister airline Singapore Airlines have banned the use of power banks on board since 1 April, with charging via the onboard USB ports also prohibited.

Other airlines, including AirAsia and Thai Airways, have also banned the use of power banks following a string of fires.

Also read: Power Bank Catches Fire On Scoot Flight From Taiwan To S’pore, 2 Passengers Injured

Power Bank Catches Fire On Scoot Flight From Taiwan To S’pore, 2 Passengers Injured

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Featured image adapted from kelly[皱眉] on XiaoHongShu and JaneZmmm on XiaoHongShu.