New York-bound Swiss flight diverted after headphone charging case fills cabin with smoke
BANGOR, Maine - A Swiss International Air Lines flight from Zurich to New York diverted to Bangor, Maine, after smoke developed in the aircraft's cabin, with investigators later determining the source was a damaged headphone charging case lodged in a passenger seat.
Dig deeper:
The incident occurred Monday aboard Flight LX16. The cockpit crew diverted the aircraft to Bangor International Airport, where it landed safely as a precaution.
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According to the airline, a technical team sent to inspect the aircraft found that a commercially available charging case for wireless headphones had slipped into a seat and become jammed.
The pressure damaged the device, causing its lithium battery to overheat and produce smoke.
Swiss said the charging case included a built-in power bank function.
The airline emphasized that many electronic devices contain lithium batteries, which can overheat or, in rare cases, catch fire if damaged or defective.
Why you should care:
Following the incident, Swiss reminded passengers of its rules governing lithium battery-powered devices. Since the beginning of the year, passengers have been prohibited from using power banks during flights. They may still carry up to two power banks on board, but they must remain on the passenger, in the seat pocket or in a carry-on bag stored beneath the seat. Power banks are not allowed in checked baggage or overhead bins, and the same rules apply to electronic cigarettes.
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Swiss also urges passengers to immediately notify cabin crew if an electronic device becomes hot, emits smoke, is damaged or falls beneath a seat.
What they're saying:
"When there is smoke of unknown origin on board, we take no risks," Swiss said. "This is why the nearest suitable airport was immediately selected for the diversion and the landing was given high priority as a precaution."
The airline said flight attendants receive extensive training on handling onboard fires, smoke and lithium battery incidents. Aircraft are also equipped with fire-resistant "Lithium Safe Bags" designed to safely contain overheating or damaged electronic devices.
Swiss also addressed what it called false reports circulating online that claimed there had been a fire in the cockpit.
"There was explicitly and exclusively smoke in the cabin," the airline said, noting the smoke was confined to the forward section of the business-class cabin. Swiss added that the Federal Aviation Administration later corrected an initial report that incorrectly referred to a cockpit fire.
The Source: The information in this story comes from a news release issued by Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), which detailed the results of its investigation into the diversion of Flight LX16 from Zurich to New York. This story was reported from Los Angeles.