Plane forced to return as power bank bursts into flames midair after ‘airline’s former-CEO ignored ban’

A PLANE with 332 passengers on board was forced to make a return after an explosion on board caused by a power bank, reportedly belonging to the airline’s former CEO. Footage of the aftermath of the fire in the Business Class section of a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight shows the window cover cracked and the seat burnt. The aftermath of the mid-air explosion Credit: X Parts of the Business Class seat were charred Credit: X An unnamed passenger told Dutch publication RTL News the power bank belonged to former KLM President and CEO Camiel Eurlings, but this has not been confirmed. The plane was travelling from the Netherlands to the Caribbean when the devices exploded, instantly bursting into flames. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! “Suddenly, a bang was heard,” the passenger said. “After that, there was an immediate fire; large flames were coming out above the seat. “The bang was the power bank exploding and immediately catching fire. Read more on plane incidents “The cabin crew responded very quickly and appropriately, and then spoke to everyone one-on-one and reassured us.” According to the passenger, the device was charging at the time of the incident, which goes strictly against airline regulations. Following the explosion, the woman said the atmosphere was good, but that the owner of the device was “extremely shocked”. “He feels terrible about the situation and the inconvenience for everyone. He was very upset,” she said, but insisted that what he did was “incredibly stupid.” Most read in The Sun During the flight, warnings were issued multiple times about the dangers of power banks. The KLM plane was flying over the Atlantic Ocean when the explosion took place. The captain decided to turn back to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam where the aircraft landed safely at around 8.40pm on Thursday. KLM confirmed to RTL News that the incident is being investigated, but refused to name the passenger on the flight, citing privacy concerns. “As part of this, we are also investigating whether the power bank was charging or not,” a spokesperson said. “I cannot say anything about that at this time.” KLM rules allow passengers to bring a maximum of two power banks per person, but they are banned from using them on board. Such devices easily catch fire on planes due to a process called thermal runaway, a rapid and uncontrollable chain reaction where internal heat causes the battery to heat up even faster until it ignites or vents toxic gas. “One more thing about power banks: always keep yours with you. It’s not allowed to put it in the overhead bin, and using or charging it on board is also not allowed,” the company website states. Incidents involving lithium batteries aboard airplanes have jumped 15% in the last year, according to the latest data from UL Standards and Engagement’s Thermal Runaway Incident Program (TRIP). Portable charger incidents jumped 42%, overtaking e-cigarettes as the primary cause of onboard events. The Sun has contacted the airline for a further comment. Comment now