A Los Angeles-Munich Lufthansa flight was forced to divert to Boston after a flyer’s iPad got stuck in a business-class seat. The flight, carrying 461 passengers, had been in the air for around three hours before the pilots and the air traffic control authorities decided to divert to Boston Logan International Airport.
Lufthansa Flight Diverted To Boston Due To Jammed iPad
According to Business Insider, a Lufthansa A380 flight to Munich made an emergency landing in Boston after an iPad got stuck in a seat. The flight took off on April 23 and was diverted to land at the Logan International Airport in Boston around 2:30 AM (local time) on April 24.
A Lufthansa spokesperson told Business Insider that the iPad “showed visible signs of deformation due to the seat’s movement.” Keeping this in mind, the flight crew and air traffic control decided to divert the flight “to eliminate any potential risk, particularly with regard to possible overheating.”
Tablets and laptops commonly have lithium batteries. These can cause significant dangers if damaged, punctured, or crushed. In confined spaces, like an aircraft cabin, lithium battery fires are particularly hazardous. Reportedly, such incidents can trigger a phenomenon known as thermal runaway, which means a chain reaction that causes the battery to overheat, with the potential to catch fire or even explode. So, keeping a safety-first approach, the flight crew decided to safely land the flight in Boston to remove any threats.
Also Read: Airlines Tighten Rules On Power Banks Amid Fire Safety Concerns; Here’s All You Need To Know!
Flight Resumes After Tablet Was Safely Removed
After landing in Boston, a Lufthansa Technik team boarded the aircraft to safely remove and inspect the damaged iPad. After making sure there was no further risk, the flight was allowed to resume its journey. The flight arrived in Munich after a three-hour delay from its original 11-hour scheduled travel.
Lufthansa further added that the safety of “passengers and crew is always a top priority”. They said that the “diversion was a purely precautionary measure.”
Also Read: Travellers Hit By Long Delays At Delhi Airport Due To Runway Maintenance And Flight Reroutes
Damaged electronic devices can be a safety hazard in flights. Kudos to the cabin crew of Lufthansa for their quick thinking and safety-first approach.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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