Swiss International Air Lines has disclosed details of an incident in which smoke occurred on flight LX16 from Zurich to New York on July 27, prompting an emergency landing in Bangor.
According to an investigation by the technical team, an earphone charging case slipped into and became trapped in a seat at the front of the Business Class cabin, where it was damaged and began emitting smoke. The airline corrected earlier erroneous information that smoke had occurred in the cockpit.
Many electronic devices use lithium-ion batteries, which can overheat due to damage or malfunction and potentially cause a fire. Swiss International Air Lines advises passengers to notify cabin crew if an electronic device overheats, is damaged, or is lost under a seat. All aircraft are equipped with “lithium safe bags” for secure storage.
For flight LX16, the crew responded in accordance with procedures from regular simulator training and diverted to the nearest suitable airport.
