An American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Phoenix diverted unexpectedly to Washington Dulles International Airport on Saturday after a passenger's electronic device caught fire mid-flight, the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed. of Aviation (FAA).

Flight 357 landed safely around 11:50 a.m., where it was met on the tarmac by emergency crews.

The crew’s quick reaction

In a statement cited by ABC News, American Airlines explained that the device was “quickly contained by crew members prior to landing.”

Officials did not detail what type of device it was, although incidents of this type are usually linked to lithium batteries in phones, laptops, or other electronic devices.

Passenger Adriana Novello, 22, told ABC News that the moment was chaotic: “I was asleep when a flight attendant jumped on my seat to get the fire extinguisher. Then I started to smell smoke and many people on the plane were coughing. I looked behind me and saw that there was something on fire in the aisle.”

Passengers and crew a safe

There were 160 passengers and six crew members on board the plane, according to the airline. No one was injured, although several passengers reported smoke inhalation.

Images shared on social media showed the emergency operation on the ground after landing.

The FAA announced it has opened an investigation to determine the cause of the incident and the exact nature of the aircraft that caught fire.

The passengers were relocated to another flight to complete their journey to Phoenix.