Cabin laptop, drop into cargo compartment...Returned an hour after takeoff
Oct 31, 2025
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According to the New York Post and other foreign media, a United Airlines flight (Boeing 767-400ER) departing from Dulles International Airport in Washington, Dulles, USA, for unusual reasons on the 15th (local time).
During the flight, one passenger's laptop fell through the cabin wall gap into the cargo compartment, and the captain decided to stop the flight and return to the departure point for safety reasons.
Eventually, the flight flew about an hour above the Boston coast before returning.
The laptop is equipped with a lithium-ion battery and was considered a potential risk factor as it is located away from the emergency fire extinguishing system in the cargo compartment.
In communication with the control tower, the captain says "the device condition cannot be verified and is inaccessible" and " must be retrieved before crossing the Atlantic Ocean."", he explained.
The control tower did not classify it as an emergency, but based on the captain's judgment, it approved the return considering safety as a top priority. The plane later arrived at Dulles Airport, and the laptop was recovered safely.
After refuelling, the plane departed again at around 3:25 a.m. and arrived in Rome about five hours late.
A control tower official said "I've never seen such a situation before. It will remain a story in the airline industry for a long time," he said, expressing surprise, and the captain also responded, `It's my first time experiencing it.'
Meanwhile, lithium-ion batteries can pose a fire risk in aircraft if damaged or overheated, and airports have recently tightened safety measures, including banning them from being sent as baggage.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
