An emergency landing in Chicago, Illinois on Monday raised concerns for both the airline industry and the tech industry. A flight going from Los Angeles, California to Frankfurt, Germany landed at O’Hare International Airport when a passenger’s laptop somehow caught fire. While the crisis was effectively averted, the story understandably raised some eyebrows.
Officials from O’Hare International Airport issued a statement about this emergency landing. According to a report by PEOPLE, it said: “The reason was a small fire onboard the cabin caused by a passenger’s overheated laptop. The small fire was extinguished in flight before its safe landing. Safety on board was not compromised at any time.” The airline also revealed that two flight attendants were treated on-site for smoke inhalation, but other than that no one was injured. All passengers were rebooked onto other flights.
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It’s unclear how the laptop in question caught fire, but fires of this kind are very uncommon. Modern laptops use lithium-ion batteries that do generate a lot of heat as a byproduct of the energy required to power the device. The chargers themselves can also be a source of danger. Not only do these create heat of their own, but they are prone to fraying after hard use and may have exposed wires.
It is generally recommended that laptops be used on a hard surface like a desk or table to prevent this kind of overheating. As long as there is some space for air to circulate, the devices can usually regulate their own temperatures. If they are smothered against a blanket or pillow, they may overheat but even then they are more likely to shut down and malfunction than to catch fire. These days, there are plenty of products on the market like lap desks with built-in fans meant specifically to address this problem.
Whatever happened, this emergency landing was likely an unwelcome complication in Chicago, where mass flight cancellations were already plaguing the city. Thousands of flights were canceled by Southwest Airlines over the holiday weekend, leaving travelers stranded in the midst of a serious winter storm. The chaos that ensued made national news and even prompted a response from the White House.ย
“Thousands of flights nationwide have been canceled around the holidays. Our Administration is working to ensure airlines are held accountable,” President Joe Biden tweeted on Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Transportation is reportedly investigating this incident closely.
