A Southwest Airlines flight from Baltimore to Tampa, Florida, was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, after a passenger's battery charger overheated and began emitting smoke. According to The Aviation Herald, the aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-700 with registration N7713A, flight number WN-1844.
The aircraft was cruising at FL400, approximately 80 nautical miles southeast of Myrtle Beach, when the incident occurred. After approximately 20 minutes of flight time, the aircraft landed safely on Runway 36 at Myrtle Beach Airport. After a four-and-a-half-hour wait, a replacement aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with the registration N8947Q, continued the journey to Tampa. The original aircraft was operational again 16 hours after landing in Myrtle Beach.
Increased incidence of incidents involving lithium-ion batteries
This incident is just one in a series of near-disasters and actual fires caused by lithium-ion batteries on aircraft. As previously reported, Southwest Airlines has changed its policy and now requires passengers to keep their power banks and portable chargers visible and use them during the flight. This measure aims to provide faster assistance in the event of a malfunction.
Of the nine lithium battery incidents documented by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this year, only one was caused by a battery pack. Yet battery packs have been responsible for the vast majority of documented incidents over the past 20 years. Southwest's new policy also prohibits the use of portable chargers when stowed in bags or overhead compartments.
An aviation safety expert told NPR, regarding Southwest's recent policy changes, that "anything that's literally powered by a lithium-ion battery can be problematic. Sometimes these batteries can overheat or experience what we call thermal runaway, which can cause them to catch fire."
Catastrophic consequences of battery fires
A particularly serious case occurred at Busan-Gimhae International Airport in South Korea, where a fire broke out on an Air Busan Airbus A321-200 en route to Hong Kong. During the evacuation, four people were injured and taken to a nearby hospital, but all passengers and crew members were able to disembark the aircraft safely. The investigation revealed that the fire was likely caused by lithium-ion batteries in the luggage and originated in the rear overhead compartment above the seats. The fire spread so quickly that the entire cabin ceiling was destroyed. Following this accident, the Korean Air Inspection Agency (ARAIB) issued a strong warning about the dangers of these batteries.
Another incident occurred very recently, on May 1, 2025, when a Southwest Boeing 737-700 en route from El Paso to Houston returned to the gate shortly before takeoff because a passenger's cell phone battery caught fire while taxiing on the tarmac. The crew responded promptly and extinguished the fire.
These incidents highlight the danger posed by electrical fires on aircraft and the urgency of Southwest Airlines' actions. It remains to be seen whether the new policies can effectively curb the alarming danger posed by personal chargers.