American Airlines flight evacuated at SFO due to smoke in the cabin

(KRON) — Passengers were evacuated from an American Airlines flight at San Francisco Airport on Friday afternoon, KRON4 has confirmed. The passengers evacuated from flight 2045 were destined for Miami.

SFO Public Information Officer Doug Yakel told KRON4 that the Miami-bound flight was backing from the gate when the crew reported smoke in the cabin at around noon.

The aircraft was evacuated using emergency slides and via jetbridge, and the San Francisco Fire Department responded by extinguishing the smoke, the Federal Aviation Administration and an American Airlines official told KRON4.

Yakel said three passengers were injured. The San Francisco Fire Department said one person required medical transportation. The cause of injuries was not mentioned. Yakel said the passengers were being transported back to the terminal as of 1 p.m.

An American Airlines spokesperson told KRON4 that smoke was initiated from a laptop inside a passenger’s bag. “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,” they said in a statement.

Videos posted on social media show several fire trucks, two emergency escape chutes, and paramedics surrounding the Miami-bound flight.

“It was desperate until someone opened the middle door and we were able to escape as we were all blocked in the hallway. Some people slightly injured,” a passenger told KRON4.

According to the American Airlines website, the Miami-bound flight had just landed at SFO from Miami an hour before its initial planned departure at noon.