Plane gets filled with smoke after passenger's power bank catches fire
An airplane got filled with smoke after a power bank caught fire mid-flight.
PEOPLE Magazine reported that Brazilian journalist Simone Malagoli recorded the incident during a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight from São Paulo to Amsterdam on the night of Aug. 5.
A representative for the airline confirmed to PEOPLE that smoke was detected on board "due to a burning power bank."
“The crew quickly extinguished the device, following established safety procedures. The situation was brought under full control, and the flight continued safely to Amsterdam," the representative said.
No injuries were reported.
Malaogi's videos, which are being reposted on X, showed her and passengers covering their noses and mouths with cloth and tissue as smoke enveloped the space.
Another video showed flight attendants in smoke hoods while walking down the aisle and carrying a fire extinguisher.
“It was one of the tensest flights of my life — perhaps the most,” Malagoli told online platform Newsflare.
Power banks and other portable chargers use lithium batteries, which have been associated with several in-flight emergencies.
In a July report from Forbes, a Delta flight from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale in Florida was forced to make an emergency landing in Fort Myers when a passenger's lithium battery-powered device caught fire mid-flight.
It was among over 35 such incidents recorded in United States flights at the time.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration report, there have been a total of 632 lithium battery incidents since it began tracking such events in 2006. Of such events, 246 or over a third involved portable battery packs.
In 2024, the FAA said there were 89 lithium battery incidents on aircraft, amounting to an average of 1.7 cases weekly.
An FAA study warns that “the prevalence of lithium batteries is a potential hazard to aircraft safety” because they can experience “thermal runaway,” a process involving an uncontrollable, rapid increase in temperature and pressure, accompanied by the release of flammable gases.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, lithium batteries catch fire due to various reasons, including “physical damage (e.g., the battery is penetrated or crushed or exposed to water), electrical damage (e.g., overcharging or using charging equipment not designed for the battery), exposure to extreme temperatures, and product defects." Dangers involving such fires include heat, smoke, the release of toxic gases, and the potential for explosions.
Amid these risks, some airlines imposed stronger measures against charger use during flights.
Since May 28, Southwest Airlines has prohibited the use of portable charging devices while stored in a bag or overhead bin. It also required passengers to “keep portable charging devices visible while in use during flight," according to PEOPLE.
Last Aug. 8, Emirates announced a power bank ban on board their flights starting Oct. 1.
“After a comprehensive safety review, Emirates is taking a firm and proactive stance to mitigate risk when it comes to power banks onboard,” the company said in a statement. “There has been a significant growth in customers using power banks in recent years, resulting in an increasing number of lithium battery-related incidents onboard flights across the wider aviation industry.”
