Virgin Atlantic flight makes emergency landing in Boston after fire
onboard
Flight 138 from New York to London landed at Logan
international after suspected faulty battery charger sparked blaze
A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330. All 217 passengers
on a flight from JFK to Heathrow were safely evacuated after making an emergency
landing in Boston.
A fire aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight headed to
London has forced the plane to make an emergency landing in
Boston.
Massachusetts state police said that the crew extinguished the
fire caused by a suspected faulty battery charger on board the A330 Airbus plane
on Thursday night local time.
All 217 passengers on flight 138 from JFK
airport in New York to Heathrow were safely evacuated after landing along with
the crew. One passenger refused treatment for a smoke-related
complaint.
An external phone charger appears to have
caused the fire.
Massachusetts state police bomb disposal officers
examined the aircraft after it landed and found a device between the cushions of
a seat which had ignited.
"Preliminary investigation suggests it is a
battery pack consistent in appearance with an external phone charger," a police
spokesman said.
Virgin Atlantic said it was "investigating" what led to
smoke appearing in the cabin.
"The safety and security of our customers and
crew is always our top priority and we are currently investigating to fully
understand the circumstances," a company spokeswoman said.
"We'd like to
thank our customers for their patience as we work with them to provide local
accommodation or to rebook alternative flights to their final
destination."
It was the second unusual landing at Boston's Logan
international airport on Thursday. Earlier, an American Airlines jetliner from
Chicago declared an emergency as it approached the city but landed without
incident.
The airline says the pilot of Flight 1172 called in an
emergency when a cockpit light indicated an unspecified potential mechanical
problem as the plane approached Boston.
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