Former American Idol contestant’s backpack explodes into ‘ball of fire’ on plane

JetBlue flight attendants and other passengers poured water on the backpack that caught fire (Pictures: Instagram/@jimmylevy/Caters News)

A former American Idol contestant’s backpack caught on fire by his feet as he sat on an airplane that was about to depart.

Jimmy Levy, 25, stowed his backpack underneath the seat in front of him aboard JetBlue Flight 1401 at John F Kennedy Airport on Monday and closed his eyes.

‘Right after falling asleep pre-takeoff on my flight back home to South Florida from New York, I was jolted awake by a sudden and terrifying wave of heat, seemingly shooting towards my face,’ Levy shared on Instagram later that day.

Levy said he opened his eyes and saw his backpack ‘in an exploding and floating ball of fire’.

He said he pushed his backpack to the ground and stomped on it frantically trying to stop the flames from spreading.

A video he posted on Instagram shows the chaotic aftermath, flight attendants and other passengers emptying bottles of water over the drenched backpack on the plane floor and into a metal container. Passengers were filled the aisle trying to get off the plane, grabbing some of their belongings in the process.

‘Just faced one of scariest moments of my life,’ Levy said.

Levy said he escaped with just a few burns on his hands.

Jimmy Levy was a contestant on American Idol season 18 in 2020 (Picture: ABC)

‘I am convinced that this entire scenario was a spiritual attack from the pits of hell and I rebuke it in then name of Jesus!’ he wrote.

‘I thank God for my life and the safety of my family and everyone else on that flight! I’m grateful that we were still on the ground when it occurred.’

Despite the fire being extinguished, all passengers was asked to get off the plane that was destined for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for an investigation.

The JetBlue airplane was evacuated for an investigation into the fire (Picture: Instagram/@jimmylevy/Caters News)

A JetBlue spokesman told NBC Miami that the aircraft ‘was evacuated while at the gate before takeoff due to a customer’s malfunctioning electronic device or battery’. There were ‘no requests for medical assistance’, the spokesman said.

It was not immediately known what type of battery charger Levy had. It is not the first such incident. In July, a VRURC portable charger caught fire on a commercial flight and the items were recalled.

Levy, who has 1million Instagram followers, was a contestant on American Idol season 18 in 2020. Along with fellow rapper Forgiato Blow, Levy created the song Boycott Target attacking the retail chain for its Pride Month merchandise. The song reached No 1 on Billboard’s rap digital song sales chart.

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American Idol star Jimmy Levy’s backpack became ‘an exploding and floating ball of fire’ aboard a JetBlue plane about to take off.