Fire prompts evacuation of American Airlines flight to Miami

Crew members evacuated an American Airlines flight from Miami due to a cabin fire on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport on Friday. (KGO/ABC)

SAN FRANCISCO – Crew members evacuated an American Airlines flight to Miami due to a cabin fire while on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport on Friday.

Officials told San Francisco ABC affiliate KGO that American Airlines Flight 2045 was taxiing when crew members reported smoke in the cabin.

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Three people suffered minor injuries, officials with the San Francisco Fire Department told the station. None of the injured required hospitalization. American Airlines, however, reported that just one customer was hurt.

The airline said the smoke came from a laptop inside a passenger’s bag.

“During boarding of American Airlines flight 2045 with service from San Francisco (SFO) to Miami (MIA), smoke was reported from inside a customer’s bag,” an American Airlines statement reads. “The bag was quickly removed by our crew members and all customers exited the aircraft. We thank our crew members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”

An SFFD spokesperson told KGO that passengers were being taken back to the terminal.

“The crew of American Airlines Flight 2045 reported smoke on board while at the gate at San Francisco International Airport. Passengers exited the Airbus A321 using emergency slides,” officials with the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement to ABC News Friday. “The incident occurred around 12:15 p.m. local time on Friday, July 12. Contact the airport and the airline for more information. The FAA will investigate.”

Editor’s note: San Francisco airport officials initially stated that the flight was headed from Miami. The airport later issued a correction saying the flight was outbound. The article has been updated accordingly.


About the Author

Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist.

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