This is the terrifying moment frantic cabin crew tried to put out a fire on a JetBlue plane after American Idol star Jimmy Levy’s backpack ‘exploded’ and burst into flames at John F. Kennedy airport.
Footage shows crew desperately pouring water onto a smoldering bag under a seat with frightened passengers heard saying ‘Oh my God’ in the background as the plane was waiting for take-off from New York on October 30.
Musical artist and former American Idol star Levy, 25, captured the moment after he had woken up to intense heat and described how he immediately noticed that his bag had caught on fire.
The video shows cabin crew members dousing the heated bag with water to cool it down.
Mr Levy said: ‘I thought someone tried to attack me because I’m a known political figure and musician, but after investigation, it appeared to be an overheated portable charger in my backpack.’
Former American Idol star Jimmy Levy captured the moment airline staff rushed to put out a fire that had started in his backpack
The clip captures the chaos of the event which caused the JetBlue aircraft to be evacuated
The musician (pictured on American Idol’s 2020 season) described how he ‘thought someone tried to attack me’
Cabin crew used bottled water onboard the plane in their attempt to extinguish the blaze
There is audible chaos in the background to the video coming from both crew and other passengers
The heat from the flames had woken Mr Levy up before the flight departed JFK airport
One person on the plane said ‘I can still see smoke’ as the bag was being drenched
Mr Levy said that he had not been using the portable charger which is believed to have caused the blaze
A statement from JetBlue reads: ‘Safety is our number one priority, and we are investigating the incident’
The bag had unexpectedly imploded under a passenger seat. After clearing away the danger and following an investigation, the cause of the fire was found to be a portable charger that had overheated.
The 2020 American Idol contestant then proceeded to desperately stamp on the fire in an attempt to help quell the blaze before the arrival of flight attendants.
The incident took place onboard a JetBlue flight – a US low-cost airline, that was set to depart New York for South Florida.
The singer from Miami, Florida, who boasts over one million followers on Instagram and more than 120,000 listeners on Spotify labelled the experience as ‘one of the scariest moments of my life’.
He added: ‘I was jolted awake by a sudden and terrifying wave of heat which was seemingly shooting towards my face.
‘I immediately opened my eyes and noticed my backpack, which was initially tucked underneath my seat, now in a floating ball of fire.
‘I pushed it to the ground and began stomping on it frantically to prevent the blaze from spreading.
‘With the help of the flight staff and water, the fire was contained. However, due to the gravity of the situation, everyone was required to evacuate the plane for a thorough investigation.’
A statement from the airline reads: ‘On Monday, October 30, JetBlue flight 1401 with scheduled service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) was evacuated while at the gate before takeoff due to a customer’s malfunctioning electronic device or battery.
‘Our crew immediately responded and addressed the situation, and there were no requests for medical assistance.
‘Safety is our number one priority, and we are investigating the incident.’