London Heathrow flight is forced to divert after passenger's laptop falls down side of seat

"A transatlantic jet from London was forced to divert to Dublin after a passenger's laptop slipped down the side of a business class seat. Maintenance crews retrieved and inspected the device The flight eventually continued its journey over the Atlantic with 100 passengers and 10 crew on board, landing in Washington five hours behind schedule at 1.22am. FlightAware data shows the Boeing 767-400 had departed west London at 4.19pm before being diverted to the Irish capital two hours later, the Independent reported."

"A United spokeswoman told the Standard: On November 19, United flight 925 safely landed in Dublin as a precaution to retrieve a customer's laptop that had fallen in between the seat and the side wall. Maintenance crews retrieved the laptop, inspected the aircraft and the flight later departed for Washington Dulles. United Airlines jet at Heathrow Airport Lithium-ion batteries in laptops are a risk on planes, as damaged, overheated or defective devices can cause a fires."

"Diverting is standard procedure on transatlantic flights when a lithium battery-powered device is stuck in a seat. In October, a United Airlines flight to Italy was forced to return to the US after a passenger's laptop dropped through the cabin into the cargo hold. The laptop was turned on and fell behind a cabin wall panel and through a small gap leading to the cargo hold where it could not be accessed, the airline said at the time."

A United Airlines Boeing 767-400 diverted to Dublin after a passenger's laptop slipped down the side of a business-class seat and became inaccessible. Maintenance crews retrieved and inspected the device before the flight continued to Washington Dulles, arriving five hours late at 1.22am with 100 passengers and 10 crew. FlightAware data shows the aircraft departed west London at 4.19pm and diverted about two hours later. Airline representatives confirmed the precautionary landing on November 19. Lithium-ion laptop batteries present fire risks if damaged, and diversions are standard when battery-powered devices become unreachable in cabin structures. A prior October flight returned after a laptop fell into the cargo hold.

Read at www.standard.co.uk