An Alaska Airlines flight was met by police after a passenger allegedly set off the aircraft’s smoke alarm by vaping in the toilet.
The smoke alarm was reportedly activated at cruising altitude on flight AS1463 from Seattle to Sacramento on Thursday.
In air traffic control audio shared by Flight Simulator Fantasy, the pilot says: “If you could pass along the message… could you please have law enforcement meet the airplane? We had a passenger set off a smoke alarm in one of our lavs [sic] using a vape of some kind and just want to have somebody talk to him.”
The Boeing 737 MAX 9 has departed Seattle-Tacoma at around 9.20am for the one-hour and 44-minute journey, per FlightAware.
Electronic smoking devices contain lithium batteries that pose a fire risk in the cabin, with vapes permitted in carry-on luggage only.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), “Just as passengers are not allowed to smoke cigarettes on an aircraft, they should never use their vapes or e-cigarettes on an aircraft. It’s not only dangerous, it’s a federal offence.”
The flight landed safely in Sacramento shortly after 11am.
An Alaska Airlines spokesperson said: ”A passenger on board Alaska Airlines Flight 1463 was discovered using a vaping device while the aircraft was in flight between Seattle and Sacramento. Law enforcement met the aircraft at the gate upon its arrival, and the passenger has been banned from flying with us.
“We appreciate the professionalism our crew displayed when handling this situation, and we apologise to our guests for any concerns the situation caused.”
Earlier this month, a Virgin Australia flight was met by an emergency crew at Melbourne airport after a vaping device ignited inside the aircraft cabin during descent.
The incident occurred on flight VA328 travelling from Brisbane to Melbourne on 15 March.
According to the airline, the device activated while the aircraft was preparing to land, causing a small fire on board.
“As a precaution and in accordance with standard procedures, emergency services were placed on standby,” a spokesperson for the airport said.
The pilots issued a “PAN” alert, a signal used in aviation to indicate an urgent situation that may require assistance, the Melbourne airport spokesperson added.
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