A Swiss aircraft had to make an unscheduled stopover in the US state of Maine. (symbol image)Image: KEYSTONE
A charging box for headphones that was jammed in a seat caused smoke on a Swiss flight from Zurich to New York last Monday. The plane had to make an unscheduled landing in Bangor, Maine, due to the incident.
July 29, 2026, 6:49 p.mJuly 29, 2026, 6:55 p.m
Technical specialists examined the aircraft in Bangor, the airline Swiss announced on Wednesday. They found that a headphone charging case had slipped into a seat and been damaged. The resulting heat development caused the smoke.
The crew of flight LX16 to New York acted promptly and correctly, Swiss said. If smoke development is unclear, no risks would be taken.
The cockpit crew applied the procedures that they regularly train in the simulator. The flight attendants at the Lufthansa subsidiary are trained to deal with fire and smoke. There are special fireproof bags on board for overheated devices, so-called “lithium safe bags”.
No one was injured in the incident, all 208 passengers and the crew were fine, it was said last Monday.
Use of power banks not allowed
The airline used the incident to remind people of the current regulations for electronic devices with lithium batteries. Since the beginning of this year, the use of power banks on board is no longer permitted. Neither devices may be charged with a power bank nor the power bank itself.
Passengers are allowed to carry a maximum of two such external batteries. These must be kept on your person, in the seat pocket or in hand luggage under the seat in front. Transport in checked baggage or in the overhead compartment is prohibited. The same rules apply to e-cigarettes. (sda/con)