By James Simons-
Passengers were forced to flee an easyJet aircraft down emergency evacuation slides after a power bank caught fire inside an overhead locker as the plane was taxiing for departure at Milan Malpensa Airport.
The Airbus A320 was preparing to leave Terminal 2 when smoke began filling the cabin, turning what had been a routine departure into a sudden emergency for the 146 people on board. The incident occurred on Thursday as easyJet flight U23905 was taxiing across the airport. According to reports, the aircraft had not yet taken off when cabin crew detected smoke and the suspected fire inside an overhead locker.
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The situation escalated rapidly, with the pilots declaring a mayday and ordering an emergency evacuation. Passengers were directed out of the aircraft using the inflatable emergency slides, with people leaving the plane while smoke remained inside the cabin. The aircraft was subsequently brought to a halt beside the airport fire station, allowing emergency crews to reach it within minutes.
All 146 passengers were evacuated from the aircraft. Two passengers suffered slight bruising while using the evacuation slides, but there were no reports of serious injuries. The relatively limited number of injuries is likely to be regarded as a fortunate outcome given the speed with which a fire and smoke can spread inside a confined aircraft cabin.
Airport firefighters responded within minutes, while an ambulance was also dispatched to the scene. Early findings indicate that the fire may have been caused by a lithium battery power bank overheating inside a trolley bag stored in an overhead locker. The precise circumstances surrounding the incident remain subject to investigation.
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The suspected involvement of a power bank is significant because lithium-ion batteries can generate intense heat and, when damaged or malfunctioning, can enter a dangerous process known as thermal runaway. Once that process begins, a battery can rapidly overheat and produce flames and smoke, creating a particularly challenging situation inside an aircraft cabin.
Portable electronic devices and spare lithium batteries are therefore subject to specific aviation safety restrictions. Airlines and aviation authorities have repeatedly warned passengers about the risks associated with damaged batteries, loose lithium cells and power banks, particularly when they are carried or stored incorrectly.
The incident also highlights why cabin crew are trained to react immediately when smoke or the smell of burning is detected. An aircraft on the ground can still present serious evacuation challenges. Passengers may be unfamiliar with the emergency exits, cabin visibility can deteriorate quickly when smoke spreads, and panic can make it more difficult for people to follow instructions.
In this case, the aircraft was able to stop close to the airport fire station, allowing emergency personnel to reach it rapidly. The decision to evacuate the aircraft while it was still on the taxiway meant that passengers did not have to remain on board while firefighters dealt with the suspected battery fire.
The incident would have been an alarming experience for those in the aircraftt. Passengers who had expected to begin their journey from Milan were suddenly confronted with smoke, emergency instructions and the need to leave the aircraft through evacuation slides.
The fact that the plane had not yet taken off was crucial. Had a comparable battery fire occurred during flight, the crew would have faced the additional difficulty of dealing with smoke and a potentially burning device inside an aircraft thousands of feet above the ground.
Aircraft are equipped with procedures and equipment designed to deal with cabin fires, and cabin crew receive specific training for such emergencies. Nevertheless, a lithium battery fire presents particular difficulties because extinguishing visible flames does not necessarily eliminate the underlying source of heat.
The incident is therefore likely to attract attention not only because of the dramatic evacuation but also because it highlights the continuing safety concerns surrounding lithium-ion batteries in passenger aircraft.
Power banks have become an everyday travel accessory for millions of passengers. Smartphones, tablets, wireless headphones and other electronic devices can consume significant amounts of battery power during long journeys, making portable chargers increasingly common in airport terminals and aircraft cabins. That convenience comes with responsibilities for passengers.
A damaged or defective battery can present a serious hazard, particularly if it becomes trapped beneath other luggage, suffers physical damage or begins overheating without being immediately noticed.
The location of the suspected fire in an overhead locker is also significant because cabin crew need to be able to identify and reach a burning device quickly. Smoke from a battery fire can become noticeable before flames are clearly visible, giving crew members a crucial opportunity to respond.
In this incident, cabin crew spotted the smoke while the aircraft was still taxiing, and the captain stopped the aircraft before ordering the evacuation. Emergency crews then moved quickly to the aircraft.
The two passengers who sustained slight bruising while leaving via the inflatable slides were treated in connection with the evacuation, while the remaining passengers were safely removed from the aircraft. The incident will now raise questions about how the power bank came to overheat, whether it had suffered any previous damage and how it had been stored inside the passenger’s luggage.
Investigators will also examine the circumstances surrounding the battery and the aircraft’s evacuation response. The journey began as an ordinary flight from Milan and abruptly became an emergency evacuation. Within minutes, they had gone from sitting inside a departing Airbus A320 to sliding down emergency chutes onto the airport apron.
The incident serves as a stark reminder that some of the smallest objects passengers bring onto aircraft can create serious safety problems when batteries malfunction. A power bank may fit comfortably into a handbag or suitcase, but inside an aircraft cabin, a battery fire can become an emergency within moments.
The rapid response at Milan Malpensa appears to have prevented the situation from becoming far more serious. Firefighters were able to reach the aircraft quickly, the 146 passengers were evacuated and only two people were reported to have suffered slight bruising.
The aircraft had not yet left the ground, which also gave the crew and emergency services valuable time and options that would not have existed had the fire occurred during the flight. The sight of smoke filling the cabin and the sudden command to evacuate will have transformed anh ordinary journey into an experience they are unlikely to forget.
The investigation into the suspected power bank fire will determine exactly what caused the battery to overheat, but the incident has already underlined an important aviation-safety lesson: a small lithium battery can become a very big problem when it catches fire inside an aircraft.
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