On 1 March, a 9 Air Boeing 737-800 (registered B-221M) operated domestic flight AQ-1305 between Guanghzou and Yichang, China. During the flight, the aircraft received a cargo smoke indication. The pilots decided to divert to Changsha for a safe landing. The 105 passengers and crew members quickly evacuate the aircraft via the emergency slides.
Chinese Civil Aviation Authorities discovered three pieces of luggage that showed burn marks and does not rule out that a thermal runaway of a lithium-ion b?ttery, which is prohibited to carry inside an aircraft’s hold.
The airline dispatched a replacement aircraft to pick up the stranded passengers, who reached Yichang five hours later than originally scheduled.
The following video appeared on social media: