American Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Passenger Device Catches Fire

An American Airlines flight en route to Phoenix was forced to divert to Washington Dulles International Airport on Saturday after a passenger’s device caught fire midair.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Flight 357 from Philadelphia landed safely at Dulles at approximately 11:50 a.m. after crew members reported smoke in the cabin.

In a statement, the airline confirmed that the fire was caused by a customer’s device but did not specify the type. The crew acted quickly to contain the situation before the aircraft touched down.

“There were 160 passengers and six crew members on board,” American Airlines said. “The device was quickly contained by crew members prior to landing.”

Emergency personnel were on standby as the Airbus A321 landed. No injuries have been reported.

One passenger, Adriana Novello, 22, described the tense moments on board. “I was asleep when a flight attendant jumped on my seat to grab the fire extinguisher,” she told ABC News. “Then I smelled smoke, and a lot of people were coughing. Something was clearly burning in the aisle.”

The FAA confirmed it has launched an investigation into the incident.