Overview

• A lithium-ion battery belonging to a passenger ignited mid-flight on Delta Flight 1334 from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, forcing a diversion to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.
• Flight attendants extinguished the fire and isolated the battery in a fireproof bag while pilots declared an emergency due to residual smoke in the cabin.
• The Boeing 757 landed safely at 8:48 a.m. with 185 passengers and six crew members on board and no injuries were reported.
• The Federal Aviation Administration has launched a formal probe into the incident as part of ongoing reviews of in-flight lithium battery safety.
• FAA data show a 388 percent rise in lithium battery fires on U.S. flights since 2015 and 34 incidents so far this year, prompting new airline rules on portable chargers.