China Airlines planes after a portable battery explodes in flames wearing an overhead bin

The emergency landing in Shanghai highlights the growing danger of Lithium Battery Bread Bread in aircraft as the aviation industry is undergoing hot-air accidents.

Passengers boarding Air China Fight CA139 saw scenes of horror and heroism where flames erupted from the electrical barrel, forcing an emergency diversion and highlighting the rising threat of electronic portable aircraft.

The Airbus A321, carrying 170 passengers from Hangzhou to Seoul on October 18, 2025, was flying with bright colors from the hot line and the dark smell of burning electronic accretion.

Panic turns into heroism

Video footage that has since gone viral on Social Media shows the terrifying moment when flames shot from the top of the barrel as passengers sitting directly below quickly looked in shock. A potentially catastrophic accident was averted by the quick actions of the Cabin Crew and passengers.

“Two flight attendants were allegedly on the ground carrying fire extinguishers while others shouted at passengers to remain seated,” and passengers worked together to extinguish the fire. Dramatic footage shows at least one passenger helping crew members fight the flames that shot up the hold.

The captain and crew immediately declared an emergency and diverted the flight to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, where it landed safely about 40 minutes after the incident began. Thanks to the quick response of the Cabin Crew, the fire was extinguished in minutes, and all seventy passengers and crew members arrived safely.

The threat of the Lithium battery

Air China confirmed in a statement that “the lithium battery is automatically removed from the passenger’s carry-on luggage stored in the overhead bin,” and that it handles the situation according to procedures. This incident represents a textbook case of what aviation experts call “Thermal Runaway,” a dangerous situation in which lithium-ion batteries burn quickly and can burst into flames.

“Thermal runaway is basically when the battery starts to discharge in an uncontrolled way,” explains fire safety expert Robert Ochs from the FAA’s technical center. “In extreme cases, it can result in smoke, fire, and even explosion”.

The Air China incident is part of a frightening trend. Airline industry data shows that 2024 saw an average of two hot escape incidents reported by airlines per week, with cabin events forcing inverted positions, returning to the gate, emergency exits, or unplanned ejections.

According to the FAA, the number of Lithium-Ion Breather Fires has jumped more than 42% in the past 5 years, with incidents of lithium-ion batteries causing smoke, fire, or overheating in aircraft now occurring at a rate of more than one per week.

Why batteries become flying fire bombs

The power devices of our connected lives, smartphones, laptops, tablets, portable chargers, and vaping devices, all contain lithium-ion batteries that can be dangerous projectiles if stored improperly. Travelers bring an average of four powered devices on board every time they fly, creating millions of potential sources of fire in the sky every day.

Thermal Runaway “results in a rapid increase in battery temperature and pressure, accompanied by the release of flammable gases. These flammable gases will be ignited by the heat of the battery, resulting in a fire”. The process usually starts with external factors such as overloading, mechanical damage, or compression, exactly the type of compression that can occur when cargo is released from the trunks of an aircraft in flight.

“Many cases of thermal runaway are the owner who is lured by dropping or seriously damaging their electronic device,” says aviation source based on returns John COX. Another major cause is the use of gray charging devices on the market that do not have the proper safety certification.

The Challenge of Fighting Fires in the Sky

What makes lithium battery fires especially bad aircraft dangerous is how difficult they are to put out and contain. The FAA test shows that even after the Crews use Halon fire extinguishers, standard equipment on airplanes, “that will not stop, and that the fire will dominate with the lithium battery”.

The recommended protocol requires flight attendants not only to use fire extinguishers but to “start by emptying that device” and water and “non-alcoholic liquids, everything they can find” from galley carts to cool the battery and prevent re-discharge.

The fires also emit toxic fumes including “hydrogen fluoride, methyl carbonate, ethylene carbonate, carlon monoxide, carbor sulfide and phosphoryl fluoride,” creating additional health hazards in the closed airplane kitchen.

For passengers, the psychological impact is severe. Research data shows that a major Trearmal Runaway incident will lead 46% of passengers to avoid flying and 28% to never fly that plane again.

What passengers should know

Aviation security experts recommend several steps for travelers:

Device Care:

• Keep devices with you during the flight rather than in overhead bins

• Never use damaged batteries that show swelling, cracks, or other visible damage

• Use only approved chargers and cables

• Turn off devices completely when hacking them

• If the device comes off the seat, get Clew help before changing the seat

Quick Response:

• Notify flight attendants immediately if any instrument feels hot, emits smoke, or shows signs of damage.

• Never try to recover a damaged device from hard drives

• Store remaining batteries in carry-on luggage only, never in checked bags

“A lithium battery fire on the ground is dangerous enough, at 30,000 meters it can be a disaster”, warns Aviation security expert Ali Marootian.

Aftermath and preventing the future

After the arrival of the emergency, the passengers were accommodated in Shanghai and provided with food and other connections to Seoul, with Air China arranging the replacement of the Airbus A321 to transport the travelers to their destination in the afternoon.

The CaAC has temporarily supported the pilot testing of electronic systems and the large can assembly, while continuing its investigations with a focus on enforcing preventive measures and strengthening the supervision of portable electronics.

The incident serves as a sweet reminder that in our increasingly connected world, the devices that keep us connected can put us in Pril. As one aviation expert noted, “any time there is a fire on an airplane, it is a big concern, and action must be taken immediately because there is no escape”.

For the 170 passengers who found this difficult flight, quick thinking with travelers and other travelers turned what could have been a disaster into emergency recovery and the cooperation of people in danger. But their experience also underscores the urgent need for continued vigilance as millions of lithium-powered devices are released into the sky every day.