Plane diverted after passenger’s iPad gets lodged in seat, sparking fire concerns
A plane travelling from Los Angeles to Munich was diverted after the flight crew feared a fire would spark when a passenger’s iPad got stuck in the seats.
According to Verdaily, Lufthansa flight LH453 made an emergency landing at Boston Logan International Airport on 24 April when the crew discovered a fire hazard.
Crew acted quickly
Around midway through the 11-hour flight, the crew discovered that an iPad had become lodged between the seats.
Seeing that the iPad had shown visible deformation, the plane quickly made a precautionary diversion.
Due to lithium-ion batteries being responsible for a string of aeroplane fires for the past couple of months, the crew feared the deformed iPad would overheat and catch fire.
LH453 landed in Boston at around 2.30am local time. A technical team was able to free the device from the seat.
Source: Felix Mittermeier on Canva. Image is for illustration purposes only.
As a result, the plane was able to continue its journey after the brief stopover.
It landed at its intended destination three hours later than originally planned. All 461 passengers onboard were uninjured in the incident.
Safety concerns over mobile devices
Since the new year, several aeroplane fires have been linked to lithium-ion battery overheating.
Just last month, a Hong Kong Airlines flight had to land after a power bank allegedly caused a cabin fire.
This string of battery-related fires has caused multiple airlines, including AirAsia and Singapore Airlines, to restrict or outright ban power banks on flights.
Featured image adapted from Felix Mittermeier on Canva. Image is for illustration purposes only.Â
