A United Express flight to Houston was diverted after a passenger’s device battery started smoking on the plane.
The pilots of United Express flight 6110, operated by Mesa Airlines, declared an emergency, according to FlightRadar24.
Lithium-ion batteries used in most portable electronic devices can smoke or catch fire on airplanes primarily due to a failure known as thermal runaway, a chain reaction in which rising internal temperatures cause the battery to release flammable gases, ignite, and generate extreme heat, according to the FAA.