A United Airlines transatlantic flight en route from Zurich to Chicago on Sunday evening was compelled to reroute and land in Shannon, Ireland, owing to an unusual incident involving a business class passenger’s laptop.
According to data from Flightradar24, the Boeing 767 aircraft had traversed approximately 500 miles over the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean when it abruptly altered its course. Travel news website Paddle Your Own Kanoo reported that engineers successfully dislodged the trapped laptop upon landing. However, due to reaching the maximum allowable working hours, the flight crew was rendered unable to continue piloting the aircraft with 157 passengers aboard to its intended destination of Chicago.
AeroInside confirmed that accommodations were arranged for the passengers at local hotels overnight. Flightradar24 data indicates that the rescheduled departure time for the aircraft from Shannon to Chicago was set for Monday, over 24 hours following its initial landing. United Airlines has yet to issue a formal statement regarding this incident, despite a request for comment sent outside of regular business hours by Business Insider.
Instances of laptops or mobile phones becoming wedged within aircraft seats are not particularly uncommon. Airline safety protocols frequently caution passengers about the potential risks associated with such incidents, emphasizing the importance of carrying electronic devices in hand luggage as opposed to checked baggage. This precaution stems from the inherent fire hazard posed by lithium batteries, rendering a mid-flight fire over the Atlantic Ocean particularly perilous due to the lack of accessible landing options.
In a similar incident that occurred in March, a Breeze Airways flight originating from Los Angeles and bound for Pittsburgh was forced to make an emergency landing after a passenger’s laptop ignited, causing the cabin to fill with smoke.
