A TAP Air Portugal flight bound for Porto was forced to make an emergency return to London Gatwick Airport shortly after take-off when a fire broke out in an overhead luggage compartment. The incident occurred on February 8, with the crew detecting a strong burning smell and smoke during the initial climb.
The captain transmitted a Squawk 7700 emergency code, and the aircraft, an Airbus A320, turned back to Gatwick after approximately 14 minutes of flight. Cabin crew located a piece of hand luggage on fire and extinguished the flames using a portable fire extinguisher. Twelve passengers had stood up and blocked the aisle during the incident.
Emergency responders met the plane on the ground, and the hand luggage was removed for investigation. Portuguese investigators later confirmed that an electronic cigarette device inside the luggage had caused the fire. A photo released by investigators showed a charred hole in the side of the bag.
The plane was given the all-clear after a safety inspection and eventually landed in Porto nearly three hours behind schedule. No injuries were reported, and the quick actions of the crew were credited with preventing a more serious incident.
