There is a serious reason why passengers need to inform a flight attendant immediately if they drop their phone down the side of a plane seat.
Losing a passport or a phone can cause a lot of stress when you’re about to embark on a journey. However, airlines advise you to notify the cabin crew if your phone slips down the side of your seat, and for good reason. Failing to do so may lead to a more significant problem.
The issue is that fires can start more easily on aircraft than one might think, primarily due to the small electronic devices we carry.
In 2018, an incident occurred when a man’s phone began ‘smoking’ on a Qantas flight to Melbourne, Australia.
This happened because he dropped his phone and, in trying to retrieve it, he moved his seat, crushing the phone in the process.
Fortunately, the cabin crew managed to ‘contain the situation’.
It turns out that the lithium batteries in these devices can ignite or even explode if they are damaged.
Consequently, passengers are now instructed to alert the cabin crew if they lose a phone down the side of a seat.
Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority has addressed this issue, stating: “Smartphones can fall into aircraft seat mechanisms and be crushed when the seat is moved. This can result in damage to the phone’s lithium battery which can cause overheating and fire.”
The statement further advises: “Passengers must remember never to move their seat if a phone goes missing while in-flight and to always ask the aircraft cabin crew for assistance.
“If a phone is damaged cabin crew should be alerted immediately.”
In August 2021, a phone caught fire onboard an Alaska Airlines flight, leading to the evacuation of passengers and crew.
In 2018, there were two separate incidents where a passenger’s bag caught fire on a China Southern flight, and in another instance, a phone battery ignited just before takeoff, forcing an evacuation on an inflatable slide.
However, passengers are also advised not to place their phones in checked baggage.
Pilot Patrick Smith explained to Sun Online Travel that phones stored in the cargo hold could present even greater risks.
Smith remarked, “I would be concerned with fires in the lower hold.
“If one was to occur then crew people on board won’t have an understanding of what is happening or how fast it’s spreading.”
Even though aircraft holds have fire suppressant systems, Smith mentioned they ‘aren’t always effective’ against these types of fires.
It’s not just phones that are a fire hazard; according to the pilot, portable power banks can also start fires.