14 DAY TRIAL // Smartphones aren’t the only ones that are prone to overheating, which in turn could cause the device to catch fire or even explode, but also batteries, which so many of us carry around all the time for a quick recharge on the go.
Such a battery, however, caused a United Airbus 320 flying from Newark, New Jersey to the Bahamas to make an emergency landing at the Daytona Beach International Airport after catching fire in a passenger’s bag.
According to airport officials, the crew reacted fast and put the battery charger in a dedicated fire retardant case whose purpose is specifically to protect other passengers and stop the fire.
The emergency landing was mostly required to make sure everything was alright, and officials said nobody was injured and no other goods were damaged.
“A @united Airbus 320 from Newark, NJ headed to Bahamas made an emergency landing @FlyDAB after this battery charger caught fire during flight. Fire was contained to the passenger's bag, put in fire retardant case until the plane landed safely. No injuries or damages,” the airport said on Twitter.
The battery saga
Portable batteries are still considered dangerous goods that are even banned on some flights, mostly after the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 disaster four years ago.
Back in 2016, the Note 7, which was Samsung’s flagship product at the time, launched with an overheating issue that caused the device to catch fire and emit smoke at random times. Many airlines banned the device completely, especially after some units experienced the overheating issue in the middle of one flight.
After trying to recall the entire series, Samsung eventually pulled the Note 7 completely due to the battery issues, instead deciding to focus on the next generation that also included additional battery safety controls.