Smoke from burning power bank fills plane cabin before Bangkok landing
Flight attendants asked some passengers seated directly below the smoky compartment to leave their seats while they used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. PHOTO: SCREENGRABS FROM KENTMAHERR/TIKTOK via The Straits Times/Asia News Network
A plane’s cabin was filled with smoke – reportedly from a burning power bank – on Feb. 24, sparking concern among hundreds of passengers and crew aboard the Batik Air flight.
Fortunately, the aircraft, which had taken off from Johor Bahru at 11:20 am, was just 30 minutes away from landing at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok.
A TikTok video posted by kentmaherr, which has racked up more than 2.1 million views, shows smoke coming out from an overhead luggage compartment at the front of the plane.
READ: Battery-powered devices are overheating more often on planes and raising alarm
“All passengers were shocked by the thick smoke coming out of the luggage compartment, with the smell of fire stinging their noses,” he wrote in the video caption.
In the video, three flight attendants are seen running their hands over several overhead baggage compartments, seemingly checking for a source of heat.
Seconds later, they ask some passengers seated directly below the affected compartment to leave their seats before they open the compartment slightly and use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire.
After several minutes, they open the compartment completely and white smoke pours from it.
The crew assist passengers in removing their bags from the compartment before a man, who had been sitting in the aisle opposite the compartment, stands on a seat to retrieve a black bag.
READ: 2 injured after power bank catches fire on Singapore-bound flight from Taiwan
Holding the bag, he is then escorted to the rear of the plane by a crew member carrying an extinguisher.
Kentmaherr, who noted the situation was brought under control within minutes, thanked the crew for their swift action.
Upon landing at the airport, the fire brigade and ambulances were on standby to ensure the safety of all passengers, kentmaherr added.
“This is the first time I experienced such an incident. I thank Allah for the chance to still be alive!” he said.
In a follow-up live video on Feb. 24, kentmaherr said initially, the smoke looked like “steam” and he was confused as to what caused it.
Seconds later, he realized that it was a fire because the smoke thickened and there was a strong “chemical-like smell”.
He said a passenger went to alert the flight attendants, who were already seated as the plane prepared to land. They immediately rushed to the scene and put out the fire.
“Thankfully, no one on the flight panicked, everyone was calm,” kentmaherr said.
Kentmaherr said he and a few of the passengers followed the man who was escorted to the rear of the plane, and they saw him take a power bank out of the bag and place it in a container.
One flight attendant, said kentmaherr, poured water from three water mineral water bottles into the container to extinguish the fire, but they had to wait for some time for the smoke to dissipate.
READ: Flight or fright? Aviophobia rises in S. Korea amid safety scares
Public anxiety about fires on board commercial planes have heightened after an Air Busan plane was consumed in flames in January while waiting to take off.
The South Korean Transport Ministry has said it will ban passengers from keeping power banks and e-cigarettes in luggage stored in overhead cabin bins.
In 2024, three incidents a fortnight of overheating lithium batteries on planes were recorded globally by the US Federal Aviation Administration, compared with just under one incident a week in 2018.
@kentmaherr 30 minit sebelum landing, berlaku detik mencemaskan sbb berlakunya kebakaran dalam luggage compartment dalam flight BOEING 737 Batik Air Perjalanan JHB ( JOHOR BHARU) to DMK (DON MEUNG BANGKOK) 11.20am waktu Malaysia, semua penumpang di kejutkan dengan kepulan asap pekat keluar dari luggage compartment dengan bau kebakaran yg menyengat hidung. Alhamdulillah penumpang dan flight attendant bekerjsama memadamkan kebakaran dan keadaan kembali terkawal dan aman. Setibanya di lapangan terbang Don Meung, pasukan bomba dan ambulance siap sedia menanti untuk memastikan keselamatan kesemua penumpang, kru kapal dan captain. Terima kasih atas tindakan pantas dan kerjasama yg di berikan. Sepanjang hidup saya pernah travel, ini lah kali pertama mengalami kejadian seumpama ini, hanya mampu mengucap dan mengenang anak dan keluarga serta sahabat2 tersayang yg di tinggalkan di Malaysia. Terima kasih Allah SWT atas peluang masih bernyawa! #batikair #BOEING737 #KEBAKARANPESAWAT #JHB #DMK #FYP #powerbankterbakar #FYPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP #FORYOUPAGE #plane #firefighter
