When a laptop’s battery began to smoke, an plane had to be evacuated. The problem is that it is no longer an isolated case

Airlines fear the flammable potential of devices Like Power Banks Or large laptops, and therefore establish capacity limits in batteries that can go on board in cab. A good example of the situations that seek to avoid we have had on an American Airlines flight, where a bag containing a laptop He started to smoke.

What happened. While the shipment was carried out at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) of flight 2045 to Miami, there was a small stampery with shouts like “fire in the rear.” The deceased was the smoke that came out of the bag of a passenger. The crew acted quickly, starting the evacuation of the aircraft and taking out the bag.

What was done. The airline workers instructed passengers to leave the plane in order. However, as can be seen in a Video recorded insidethe hall became a chaos where passengers ignored one of the requests: leave bags, suitcases and other belongings in the cabin and go out empty. Some passengers left the plane with bags along the ramps, without following the rules. The evacuation ended without damage to the plane, but with three minor injuries.

According to firefighters From the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), which confirmed that a laptop was the cause of smoke, the problem was born in its battery, without offering more details. Although before they arrived, smoke had already extinguished, firefighters introduced the equipment into a container with water to prevent future problems.

What do protocols say. The European Air Security Agency (AESA) Establish clearly What to do as a passenger in an evacuation situation:

• Listen: Follow each and every one of the instructions on the cabin crew.
• Leaving luggage: “Trying to take your belongings will not only hinder you, but will also endanger other passengers. Luggage could hinder the exit and cause damage to the evacuation equipment”

In the United States, process priorities They are exactly the same: follow the crew instruction and leave belongings behind. The objective is always that any aircraft is safely emptied in 90 seconds.

A growing problem. Although since 2016 the lithium -ion batteries are prohibited in the wineries of the airplanes, the number of incidents related to them has shot themselves, either by smoke, fire or extreme warming.

The Federal American Aviation Administration (FAA) carries A count And the figures are fully fired: between 2006 and 2016 there were 120 incidents. Between 2017 and May 2025, 377.

More than triple cases, and in less years. The majority of incidents occur in commercial airplanes: 385 cases of 119 of transport aircraft. We have analyzed express mentions on fire in the descriptions provided by FAA, and there are 201 cases: 47 from 2006 to 2015, and 144 from 2016 to May 2025.

And its solution during the flight. FAA incident records are also useful in another sense: they indicate how the crew mitigates the problems in full flight. The great key are “Thermal containment bags” as is from AvsaxThey are igniphed containers capable of sealing a device and preventing major disasters.

In many cases, the crew chose to introduce the problematic device in water before moving to the protective bag. Airlines are taking measures, and for example Southwest Airlines already forces passengers who use Powerbanks to that they have them in sight while carrying.

Why the batteries burn. If the question is why they explode, the answer is in a phenomenon, “Thermal leakage“: Overheating due to a heat production process that is self -demand, which ends up causing overpressure explosion.

If the anode does not correct the cathode, there is heating, which leads to additional exothermic reactions, which overcome the chemical system and shape oxygen bubbles, CO2 and other gases. With luck, the reaction does not pass from smoke, but it is the precedent of something worse: fire.

Why not everyone burn. Because of its characteristics, the batteries They occur following rigorous security plans. But nothing prevents batteries of worse quality or defective, such as Samsung confirmed for the Galaxy Note 7. There is also an additional factor that no longer depends on manufacturers: mechanical blows such as high -height falls, which can deform the battery and make different parts of it touch, which would cause a short circuit and contribute to heating.

Images | Erik McLean and Phil Deforges In UNSPLASH, Antonio Sabán with Ia

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