American Airlines 737 Diverts to Chicago O'Hare After Suspected Cabin Fire

An American Airlines Boeing 737-800 returned to Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Friday, October 16, after smoke appeared in the cabin shortly after takeoff. Reports say the smoke came from a trash can in the galley, and no injuries were reported.

What Happened

Flight AA618 was a scheduled service from O’Hare to Dallas Fort Worth. According to FlightAware data cited by AeroCorner, the aircraft left the gate at 12:05 p.m. Central time and took off at 12:19 p.m. It climbed to about 4,900 feet south of the airport, looped back and landed at 12:31 p.m. The FAA put the return at about 12:30 p.m.

The aircraft was a Boeing 737-800 with the registration N974AN. Aviation A2Z reported that the pilots declared a “Mayday” emergency and asked to return to O’Hare immediately. Flight attendants had suspected a fire in a galley trash can, and smoke entered the cabin, the outlet said.

Airport rescue and firefighting vehicles met the aircraft on arrival. Aviation A2Z reported that airport operations were briefly halted, and that the jet taxied to the gate with fire trucks following.

What Caused the Smoke

American attributed the smoke to a trash can in the galley. What was burning inside it has not been reported. NBC 5 Chicago reported that no fire extinguisher was used and that no further problems followed.

Aviation A2Z noted that early reports had pointed to a rear lavatory trash can, which would raise the possibility of a discarded cigarette, and said smoke from a galley bin would more likely suggest something electrical overheating. The outlet stressed that neither cause has been confirmed.

The FAA said the incident remains under investigation.

Passengers and the Replacement Flight

About 180 passengers and crew were on board, according to Aviation A2Z. No one reported injuries. Passengers got off the aircraft and went back to the terminal.

American operated AA618 later the same day on a different 737-800. American took the original aircraft out of service for the rest of the day. One report said it was due to return to service the next morning.

American’s Statements

Reports contain no detailed statement from American beyond its explanation that the smoke came from a galley trash can. According to various sources, American did not respond to a request for comment.