If someone asks you about the reasons why a plane might divert from its route, you'll likely cite catastrophic scenarios like a critical medical emergency, a terrible storm, or the failure of a critical system. On the other hand, losing an electronic device, like a smartphone, is probably not on your list… Yet, it's a situation that aviation professionals take very seriously. Just this week, a flight from Los Angeles to Munich was diverted to Boston because of... an iPad stuck deep in a seat mechanism, according to Business Insider.
And this isn't an isolated case. To be convinced, just look at the concrete examples that have emerged in recent months. In May 2024, a United Airlines Boeing 767 took off from Zurich bound for Chicago, but was forced to detour to an Irish airport when a passenger's laptop got stuck in their seat. More recently, last February, a flight supposed to connect Charles-de-Gaulle airport to Martinique had to turn around when a passenger dropped their smartphone into the mechanism of their seat.
A very real risk
At first glance, these incidents may seem far too trivial to justify diverting such commercial flights. After all, the passenger only had to be careful with their equipment; If he has to go without it for a few hours, that's his problem, isn't it? In fact, it's quite the opposite: this simple clumsiness can represent a major risk for all humans on board because of the nature of the lithium batteries that equip these devices.
You've probably already noticed that all Li-ion batteries distributed in Europe have a label that strongly advises against piercing or opening them. This is because the two poles of the circuit—the anode and the cathode—are separated by a membrane that prevents them from coming into direct contact, while still allowing current to flow. If the integrity of this membrane is compromised, an internal short circuit occurs, generating heat.
However, the chemical reactions taking place in these devices are themselves accelerated by heat. This creates a vicious circle: the higher the temperature, the more the reaction intensifies, the higher the temperature, and so on. This situation can quickly escalate into a full-blown fire.
Li-Ion Batteries: Potential Firebombs
This is particularly problematic with lithium batteries, and for good reason: the fires they cause are notoriously difficult to control.
By definition, batteries are devices designed to store a large amount of energy in a small space. When this energy escapes in the form of heat, the fire can become so intense that spraying it with water is rarely effective. Even conventional fire extinguishers are generally not enough. This also applies to containment bags designed to smother a flame. These are often unnecessary in this context, as the combustion of the components (and in particular the cathode) can itself generate oxygen, which allows the reaction to self-sustain.
These fires also tend to emit toxic and corrosive fumes... and to top it all off, they have the annoying habit of spontaneously restarting once they appear to be out! Needless to say, these incidents can quickly turn tragic in a confined space like the cabin or hold of an aircraft.
Justified zero tolerance
That's why flight attendants are trained to respond with a zero-tolerance policy. If a passenger loses their precious smartphone in the seat mechanism and it's impossible to retrieve it, there's also no way to check whether the battery has been crushed or punctured by the hinge. So, you have a potential ticking time bomb—and from that perspective, it's a perfectly legitimate reason to hijack an entire device.
So, on your next trip, be sure to check the rules, which can vary slightly from one airline to another. And if you handle a smartphone, computer, or console in the cabin, make sure you have a steady hand: it would be a shame to ruin your plans and those of all the other passengers because of a simple mistake!
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