United flight forced to return to airport over laptop battery fire [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• A United Airlines flight was forced to return to the airport “after a customer’s [laptop] battery pack ignited.”
• Four flight attendants were hospitalized while two customers were evaluated on-site.
• Lithium batteries are known to emit smoke or catch fire when damaged or overheated.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that a laptop battery fire forced a United Airlines flight to return to San Diego International Airport minutes after takeoff on Tuesday morning.

According to data from FlightAware, the plane departed the San Diego airport at 7:07 a.m. and returned at 7:51 a.m. “after a customer’s battery pack ignited.”

The airlines said that two customers were evaluated on-site while four flight attendants were transferred to the hospital.

The plane later resumed its flight to Newark Liberty International Airport and no other operations were affected.

United’s statement read, “We thank our crew for their quick actions in prioritizing the safety of everyone on board the aircraft.”

Spare lithium ion and lithium metal batteries, such as power banks and battery charging cases, can only be placed in carry-on baggage according to FAA regulations. Since lithium batteries can catch fire and cause smoke when damaged or overheated, all spare batteries and power banks must be removed from bags when they are checked at the gate.

The FAA’s size limits on lithium batteries allow for “nearly all types of lithium batteries used by the average person in their electronic devices.”

There have been 414 incidents involving lithium batteries and smoke, fire, or extreme heat on flights from March 2006 to October 2022. Among these, 179 were caused by battery packs, 80 were caused by cigarettes and vapes, and 49 came from laptops.

Flight Safety Foundation’s president and chief executive, Hassan Shahidi, remarked, “There’s definitely a concern. We’ve seen the trend not going down, because people are increasingly having more of these devices onboard.”

Shahidi advised adding protection to your electronics by placing them in a sleeve or their original cases. Avoid placing it under a heavy object.

If your gadget slips between the seats, notify a crew member. He explained, “Don’t move the seat yourself. It could add pressure, and inadvertently cracking or damaging it is not a good thing. The crew can take the seat out.”

Immediately alert a crew member if you notice a device emitting smoke or fire. The crew can put the fire out by using a fire extinguisher or placing the device in a thermal containment bag. Shahidi warned against throwing the item on the ground, which endangers other passengers.

When a cabin fills up with smoke, the cabin crew will recommend opening up the air vents, since oxygen masks only deploy in the event of a pressure loss. Shahidi said, “Aircraft circulates air very rapidly, so turning on the fans is very helpful.”

Source: MSN