Four people taken to hospitals for smoke inhalation after laptop catches fire onboard plane

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – A fire that originated in an external battery pack aboard a United Airlines flight forced the plane to return to San Diego International Airport shortly after takeoff Tuesday, and four people were taken to hospitals for treatment of smoke inhalation.

UA Flight #2664, which was en route to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, left San Diego International Airport just after 7 a.m., but had to return before 8 a.m. after an external battery pack onboard the aircraft caught fire, according to airport officials.

According to the San Diego Fire Department, the flight crew prevented the fire from spreading by putting the battery pack into a fire bag. Details about the battery pack were not immediately released.

Four people were taken to hospitals for treatment of smoke inhalation, while two others were examined but declined to be taken to a hospital, according to the SDFD.

Fire Captain Josh Sanders of the Chula Vista Fire Department joined KUSI’s Hunter Sowards to discuss what kinds of factors could contribute to an incident like the one that occurred on UA Flight #2664.

KUSI Photojournalist David Pradel spoke with the spokesperson for the San Diego International Airport, Sabrina Lopiccolo, who explained (below) that other operations at the airport were running normal, this incident did not impact other flights.