The crew managed to extinguish the fire, but due to this incident, the pilot decided to turn the plane around when it was already over the Atlantic Ocean. This was reported by NOS.
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The plane returned after a few hours of flight
After this incident, passengers had to be transferred to another flight to Curaçao. Due to the delay, not all travelers could continue their journey on the same day.
According to Dutch media, the external battery may have belonged to former KLM executive Camiel Eurlings. The airline itself did not confirm this information, citing privacy reasons.
Why external batteries are dangerous on planes
After this incident, the rules for carrying external batteries came back into focus. KLM allows passengers to carry no more than two external batteries, but they cannot be transported in checked baggage.
During the flight, external batteries must also not be used or charged. The airline recommends keeping it close by and not placing it in the overhead luggage compartment.
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As NOS explains, vibrations during the flight can damage the components of external batteries, especially if the device has previously been dropped or suffered strong impacts. This can increase the risk of overheating, fire, or explosion.
This is not the first such case
A similar incident had already occurred on another KLM plane. A year ago, during a flight from São Paulo to Amsterdam, an external battery in a backpack began to heat up and smoke about four hours before landing.
At that time, the crew also managed to extinguish the device. According to Dutch inspection data, reports of overheating of external batteries or electronic cigarettes on planes are received once or twice a month.
After the new incident, KLM is conducting an investigation. Based on its results, the airline must assess whether it is necessary to further tighten the rules for using external batteries during flights.
