FedEx Airplane Fire Scare at Rochester Airport
Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - There was a fire scare involving a cargo airplane at the Rochester airport Tuesday.
The crew of a FedEx Boeing 757 reported it was dealing with a fire alarm from the rear hold of the plane as it was approaching the airport around 7 a.m.
The plane landed without incident and it was searched for any sign of fire or smoke but nothing was found.
Rochester deputy fire chief Steve Belau says the primary concern was the airplane’s large load of lithium batteries that were part of a shipment of computers. Belau says lithium batteries have caused several cargo area fires on aircraft and are not permitted as freight on passenger airplanes any longer as a result.
Crews from the Rochester Fire Department and the airport’s firefighters were at the scene during the duration of the incident.