Overheating Cell Phone Prompts Dreamliner Emergency Landing

British Airways flight makes an emergency landing after a passenger’s phone begins to overheat and emit smoke.

Flyers aboard British Airways Flight 18 were given a scare on their way to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) after the captain made an emergency landing for an overheating cell phone. Britain’s The Independent reports the Boeing 787 Dreamliner landed at International Airport Irkutsk (IKT) in Russia after the phone began smoking due to the failure.

According to the newspaper, the flight had taken off from Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) when the situation took place. One flyer’s cell phone had overheated, causing the faulty item to emit smoke. A spokesperson for British Airways told The Independent that the emergency landing was made to ensure the safety of all those aboard the aircraft and that smoke in the cockpit was not a factor in the landing.

“We’re sorry for the delay to the service, after our experienced pilots diverted the aircraft as a precaution,” a spokesperson for the airline told The Independent. “The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority.”

While the Dreamliner was not directly affected by the incident, technical issues have previously forced the next-generation aircraft to take emergency actions. Earlier in 2015, an Aeromexico Dreamliner was forced to make an emergency landing in Ireland after a fire alarm alerted the pilots of a possible fire. In 2014, a LOT Polish Airlines Dreamliner was forced to make an emergency landing after pilots received a report of smoke on the airplane. Prior to those issues, the Dreamliner was subject to a worldwide grounding due to battery issues.

The airline confirmed that the Dreamliner was refueled at IKT, before being allowed to continue to LHR without further incident.

[Photo: iStock]