Small fire breaks out on Scoot flight from Hong Kong to S’pore after passenger’s power bank overheats

SINGAPORE – A small fire broke out on a Scoot flight from Hong Kong to Singapore on Nov 22 after a passenger’s rechargeable power bank overheated.

The budget carrier said on Nov 23, in response to The Straits Times’ queries, that the incident occurred on board flight TR939.

“Scoot can confirm that an overheated power bank caused a small flame in the cabin, which was promptly extinguished by our cabin crew,” it said.

According to tracking website FlightRadar24, the plane departed Hong Kong at 5.48pm.

In a post on social media platform Xiaohongshu on Nov 22, a passenger on the flight said that there was a “strong burning smell” in the cabin as the plane was about to land.

A video accompanying the post shows a few flight attendants surrounding an item on the cabin floor as passengers looked on.

A 28-year-old woman who was on board the flight told ST that she saw flight attendants rushing to the “middle of the cabin, then back to the front and rear” to get protective gloves, ice and a fire extinguisher.

“They dragged a bag towards the back of the plane,” she said, adding that they placed what appeared to be a black laptop bag in the toilet.

“Passengers were instructed to stay seated and not take photos or videos, which created anxiety and uncertainty,” she said.

She added that passengers were only told that there was a fire through an announcement from the pilot after the plane had landed.

However, they could not disembark immediately as firefighters had to check the cabin.

“There was some panic as we were unsure if the situation was fully resolved. The smell of smoke and chemicals added to the discomfort.”

Although she did not notice the flames or any smoke from her seat at the second to last row, she saw a burn mark on the side of the cabin while disembarking. This led her to believe that the bag had been originally stowed under a seat.

“I am grateful for a safe landing, but I wish the crew could have communicated more clearly,” she said.

A Scoot spokesperson said that no injuries were reported and that airport emergency services were on standby upon the plane’s arrival in Singapore.

“All passengers and crew disembarked normally after the aircraft landed uneventfully in Singapore at 9.06pm on Nov 22,” the spokesperson added.

“Scoot sincerely apologises for the disruption and inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew remains our top priority.”