Carry-on bag ignites shortly before JetBlue flight to Florida due to portable battery, passenger says

ORLANDO, Fla. - Passengers on a JetBlue waiting to fly to Florida from New York City on Monday experienced an unexpected delay when someone's bag went up in flames.

The chaos was caught on camera, with flight attendants pouring water on the backpack after it ignited before takeoff.

Jimmy Levy tells FOX 35 News that he eventually realized the fire was caused by a portable battery that he was carrying in his bag.

" I closed my eyes," said Levy about falling asleep on his JetBlue flight. "After two minutes, I hear a big explosion. I open my eyes, and then I see a ball of fire coming from under the seat in front of me, and it was my backpack. It comes up, and I push it down, and at first, it hits my lap and burns my thigh, and I push it and start stomping on it."

Levy, a social media influencer and former American Idol contestant says the flames also singed his beard and hands.

Everyone had to get off the plane before the cause of the fire was found.

"The most important thing is that everyone is safe, that it got put out, and the crew did a great job," Levy said. "God delayed that flight on purpose because if we were in the air, and with the air pressure."

FOX 35 interviewed Levy in August when he led a large prayer group in Orlando's Mall at Millenia.

He says he was in New York to lead a similar event in Times Square.

"We had Jews, Christians, Palestinians, Israelis, Muslims, everyone coming together and uniting," Levy said.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there have been 60 aviation-related incidents involving lithium batteries carried as cargo or baggage since 2023.

JetBlue says it is investigating the incident.