LONDON- A fire broke out aboard a British Airways (BA) flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), after a mobile phone ignited during the final approach.
The blaze struck flight BA271 as the aircraft descended toward Las Vegas, where many passengers were traveling to the InfoComm trade show. Cabin crew contained the fire and the plane landed safely, while the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it will investigate the incident.
British Airways In-Flight Mobile Device Fire
Flames leapt from a window seat on row 37, on the right hand side of the aircraft, just before the flight was due to begin its final descent shortly after 2 PM Pacific time on June 15, 2026.
A faulty device charging a mobile phone ignited the fire, which a crew member later attributed to a battery that repeatedly reignited at the scene.
One passenger seated near the source rushed to put out the flames, while others jumped from their seats into the aisle to escape. The sudden movement blocked the cabin crew, who had to repeatedly order passengers to step aside so they could bring fire extinguishers to the affected row.
The device ignited due to a lithium-ion battery failure, the type of fault that can occur when rechargeable batteries short circuit.
After crew dealt with the igniting device, passengers seated across three rows surrounding the site were moved to the rear of the aircraft. Crew continued to monitor the area to prevent any further reignition.
An in-flight announcement told travelers that the aircraft had been given priority for landing and would be met by fire trucks on the runway. British Airways later offered a more measured account, with a spokesperson telling CBS News that the aircraft arrived as scheduled and did not declare an emergency.
Passengers relocated to the back were reseated in other areas, including cabin crew seats, before the plane landed, taxied to its gate, and allowed all passengers to disembark safely.
Official Response and FAA Investigation
The Las Vegas airport confirmed that the pilot called an alert, and US news outlets obtained air traffic control audio of the exchange.
On that recording, the pilot said the mobile phone fire scorched the inside of the cabin, but that it was under control.
The FAA said the flight landed safely at Harry Reid International Airport after the crew reported the fire, and it confirmed the matter will be investigated. It remained unclear what type of cellphone caused the fire.
Portable rechargeable devices such as phones and laptops carry a known fire risk, as their lithium batteries can short circuit.
Industry Professionals on Board
The flight carried a significant number of audiovisual industry professionals traveling to InfoComm.
According to AV Magazine, whose journalist was seated two seats to the left of the fire on the row in front, one crew member said the team had trained for such an event but noted the fire developed far faster than expected.
Another crew member said the commotion was initially mistaken for a celebration before it became clear that a fire had started.
Among the industry passengers was Beky Cann, head of global PR and marketing at Re-Sauce, who was seated three seats from the fire.
“It was frightening and I am still stressed out,” she said shortly afterwards. “The smell of chemical smoke clung to my hair and clothes and my eyes are still stinging. I’m just glad everyone is safe and it happened close to landing.”
Flight Schedule and Wider Reporting
The BA271 service was scheduled to depart London Heathrow at 12.15 PM, an ideal time for travel to InfoComm, and likely carried many other professionals on board.
The route connects London and Las Vegas across roughly 5,220 miles, about 8,403 kilometers, on a flight lasting close to 10 hours.
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