Imagine settling into your seat for a long-haul flight across the Atlantic, only to be interrupted by the smell of smoke in the cabin and an announcement that the plane is making an emergency diversion.
That’s exactly what happened to 206 passengers this past weekend when a SWISS International Air Lines flight from Zurich to Boston was forced to make an unscheduled middle-of-the-night landing in Ireland.
The culprit? A passenger’s power bank.
What Happened on Flight LX52?
On Sunday evening, SWISS flight LX52 departed Zurich Airport at 6:11 PM, bound for Boston. A few hours into the journey, smoke began billowing from a portable power bank in the cabin.
Recognizing the severe danger that lithium battery fires pose in a pressurized aircraft, the flight crew acted immediately. They requested authorization for a priority landing and diverted the aircraft to the nearest suitable airport. The plane touched down safely in Dublin at 3:07 AM on Monday morning.
Thankfully, no one was injured, but the 206 passengers had to spend the night in a local hotel while aviation experts conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft before clearing it to return to Zurich.
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Surprisingly, this isn’t an isolated incident for the airline. Just a few weeks ago in late July, another SWISS flight—this one traveling from Zurich to New York—had to make an emergency stop in Bangor, Maine. In that case, a headphone charging case slipped into a seat mechanism, was crushed, and began emitting smoke.
Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere:
- in our phones, laptops
- wireless headphones
- portable chargers.
While they are incredibly efficient, they are also prone to a phenomenon called “thermal runaway.” If they overheat, short-circuit, or get crushed in a reclining seat, they can rapidly catch fire and release toxic smoke.
What Travelers Need to Know Before Flying
SWISS (a Lufthansa subsidiary) is doubling down on its reminders to passengers about the strict safety regulations regarding electronic devices.
If you are traveling soon, here is a quick refresher on the rules for portable chargers and power banks so you don’t accidentally ground your next flight:
- There is a limit: Passengers are generally permitted to carry a maximum of two portable batteries.
- No charging on board: SWISS strictly prohibits passengers from plugging in and using power banks to charge devices during the flight.
- Keep them close: Power banks must be kept on your person, in the seat pocket, or in your personal item stowed under the seat in front of you.
- Never in the overhead bin or checked luggage: You are absolutely prohibited from placing power banks in the overhead bin or in your carry-on suitcase stored in the overhead locker. If a battery starts to overheat, the crew needs to be able to see it and access it immediately to extinguish it with specialized fire-containment bags.
It might feel like a minor inconvenience when a flight attendant asks you to unplug your portable charger or move it from the overhead bin, but as the passengers on flight LX52 learned this weekend, those rules are there for a very good reason.
Have you ever experienced a flight diversion? Share your story in the comments below!
