Passenger’s lost laptop forces international flight to turn around

Mind the gaps!

A passenger’s laptop dropped through the passenger cabin into the cargo bay, forcing a United Airlines flight bound for Rome to return to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

“We have a minor situation here with a passenger who has somehow dropped a laptop that was on … down the sidewall into the cargo pit area of the airplane,” one of the pilots told Air Traffic Control (ATC) when they were notified.

Data from Flightradar shows that a United Airlines Boeing 767-400ER made an unusual U-turn right off the coast of Boston less than an hour into the eight-hour flight on October 15.

The laptop, which was lithium-ion powered, presented a safety concern to the other passengers, since it fell near a sensitive area of the plane.

“Unfortunately, we’re going to have to get clearance to return to Dulles,” one of the pilots told Air Traffic Control right before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

During the conversation between the pilots and ATC, it was revealed that the laptop was running when it was dropped, and they didn’t know how long the battery would last until it died.

“We don’t know the status of it. We can’t access it. We can’t see it. So our decision is to return to Dulles and find this laptop before we can continue over the ocean,” the pilot continued.

Instead of calling the situation an emergency, the pilots told ATC that this was a matter of precaution.

“You know, due to the lithium battery in the cargo area, where it’s actually even … not even near the suppression system that we have for, you know, fires down there. So this is just a safety precaution.”

After ATC cleared the flight crew for rerouting, the plane landed back at Dulles Airport at 12:35 a.m., over two hours after taking off for Rome.

The laptop was later found, and the plane was able to refuel and prepare for its second departure at 3:25 a.m.

The pilots were praised for placing the safety of the passengers first, arriving in Rome five hours later than expected.

One ATC member told the flight crew, “I’ve never heard anything like that before. Good story to tell at the pilot lounge.”

The pilot replied back saying that that was a first for him.

Lithium-ion batteries, which power digital devices like laptops and phones, can become a threat to airplanes if they are damaged or become overheated. Because of this, airports have started to implement safety measures, including banning them from checked luggage.

This year alone, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data revealed that lithium battery incidents have been rising over the years, with the U.S. having over 50 incidents this year.

Earlier this month, an Air China flight bound for Seoul was forced to make an emergency landing in Shanghai after a lithium battery inside a passenger’s carry-on burst into flames.

The flight crew was able to take care of the situation, and no one was injured, reports say.