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Southwest Airlines diverts flight after passenger's charger overheats mid-air

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Southwest Airlines diverts flight after passenger's charger overheats mid-air
Policy
Webp southwestairlines
Southwest Airlines | Official Website

The crew of a Southwest Airlines flight decided to divert to Myrtle Beach after a passenger's battery charger overheated and began emitting smoke, as reported by The Aviation Herald. The Boeing 737-700, with registration N7713A and operating as flight WN-1844, was en route from Baltimore to Tampa, Florida.

The incident occurred when the aircraft was cruising at FL400, approximately 80 nautical miles southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. After about 20 minutes, the plane landed safely on runway 36 in Myrtle Beach. Following a delay of four and a half hours, a replacement Boeing 737 MAX 8 completed the journey to Tampa. Sixteen hours later, the original aircraft resumed operation.

Southwest Airlines has adjusted its policy requiring passengers to keep power banks and portable charging devices visible while onboard. This change aims to facilitate quicker assistance in case of device malfunctions. Of the nine lithium battery-related incidents documented by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this year, only one involved a battery pack. However, such packs have been responsible for most events over the past two decades.

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Passengers are now prohibited from using portable chargers stored in bags or overhead bins. An aerospace safety consultant discussed these changes with NPR: “It could be a laptop, it could be a cellphone. It could be a power pack that we all typically use when we're traveling. So anything literally powered by a lithium-ion battery could be problematic.”

In another related incident at Busan-Gimhae International Airport in South Korea, an Air Busan Airbus A321-200 bound for Hong Kong experienced a fire believed to have originated from lithium-ion batteries in baggage. Four individuals were injured during evacuation but left safely otherwise.

A similar situation occurred on May 1st when another Southwest 737-700 returned to El Paso International Airport due to a phone battery catching fire during taxiing. The crew promptly extinguished the fire and safely evacuated passengers before federal and local officials began their investigation.

These incidents underscore concerns about electrical fires on aircraft and highlight Southwest’s recent policy changes aimed at mitigating risks associated with personal chargers.

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