See How Much Damage Laptops and Battery Packs Can Do to a Plane
Remember the great Galaxy Note recall of 2016? Samsung's flagship smartphone dominated headlines for weeks, as phone after phone caught fire or exploded. Of course, the FAA had to get involved after one device caught fire on a Southwest plane, but even after that doomed smartphone was officially banned from flights, a similar threat still remains: large lithium-ion batteries.
On their own, laptop batteries and external power packs — used to charge smartphones and other gadgets on the go — are of little threat. But if they're punctured or otherwise severely damaged, these devices can explode or catch fire, just like the Note. So the next time you're thinking about adjusting your business-class seat to retrieve that battery pack you dropped during takeoff, just... uh... don't.
While you're unlikely to find exposed nails, motorized business- and first-class seats are loaded with sharp components that can do an awful lot of damage to electronic devices. And while a broken screen is sure to bum you out, even a small fire on an aircraft flying far from a landing site can doom everyone onboard.
In case you have any doubt after watching the GIF above, be sure to catch the full video below:
So instead of trying to retrieve your lost gear on your own, you should press the flight attendant call button and request assistance.
Have you "lost" a laptop or battery pack during a flight?
