Another laptop mishap has forced United Airlines to make a high-altitude course correction. On 19 November 2025, Flight UA925, operated by a Boeing 767 from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles, diverted to Dublin Airport after a passenger’s laptop slipped into the narrow gap in a business-class seat. According to Shaun’s Aviation, the laptop had fallen between the armrest and the cabin wall, becoming inaccessible to the crew, who decided to divert as a precaution due to the risks associated with its lithium-ion battery.

The aircraft, en route from London Heathrow Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport, landed safely in Dublin, where maintenance crews retrieved and inspected the laptop. The flight resumed later that night and arrived in Washington about five hours behind schedule, as can be seen from Flightradar24 data.

What Happened?

According to Business Insider, an ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System) message revealed that the device was trapped “between the seat and side wall,” making it impossible for the crew to monitor its condition. United later confirmed that the diversion was “as a precaution to retrieve a customer’s laptop … that had fallen … in between the seat and the side wall.”

The safety concern stems from lithium-ion batteries used in power banks, laptops, and phones; if damaged, overheated, or compressed, they can enter a state called thermal runaway, potentially leading to smoke or fire. Because the crew could not reach or visually inspect the device, they opted for caution.

After landing safely in Dublin, maintenance engineers retrieved the device, inspected the seat structure, and confirmed no visible damage. The flight departed Dublin later that evening and eventually reached its destination.

Similar Incidents Involving Batteries

This is not the first time United has been forced to interrupt a transatlantic flight due to a passenger’s laptop. In mid-October 2025, Flight UA126, operated by another Boeing 767, from Washington Dulles to Rome, returned to Dulles after a passenger’s powered-on laptop slipped through a gap in a cabin sidewall and into the lower fuselage or cargo area. A remarkably similar incident led to the same safety response.

During that event, the pilot told air traffic control (as per Youtube account You can see ATC):

“We don’t know the status of it. We can’t access it. We can’t see it … So our decision is to return … and find this laptop before we can continue over the ocean.”

Maintenance crews later recovered the laptop, and after inspections, the aircraft took off again approximately four to five hours late. Another incident involving batteries happened on board a SASAirbus A320neo in mid-October but was made public only earlier this week. This time, during the boarding process in Oslo, a battery in someone’s luggage suffered a thermal runaway event, then set the bag on fire and started emitting toxic fumes, leading to eight people being taken to the hospital, as reported by Avherald.

Broader Risk: Power Banks & Batteries

Incidents like these illustrate a broader aviation-safety challenge: the risks posed by portable electronics powered by lithium-ion batteries. Power banks, phones, and laptops can become hazardous if they are crushed, bent, under pressure, or lodged in tight spaces, where even minor damage can trigger overheating or, at worst, thermal runaway. Unfortunately, airlines are seeing more of these cases, and the focus now is on preventing and managing them.

United and other international carriers have grown increasingly vigilant about devices that disappear into seat mechanisms, particularly on long overwater flights where diversion points are limited and fire-suppression options are constrained. As a result, crew protocols emphasize caution: they avoid aggressive seat manipulation, isolate the affected area, and assess whether the situation warrants an immediate diversion. Despite being disruptive and costly, these decisions are built around a simple priority: ensuring passenger safety when the condition of a trapped battery cannot be verified.

Regulators and airlines are now tightening restrictions, refining crew training, including fire safety, and reviewing cabin and seat designs to close gaps where devices can disappear. For travelers, the guidance is becoming clearer with each incident: keep electronics secure, avoid forcing them into tight spaces, do not place heavy items on them, and alert cabin crew immediately if a device goes missing or starts emitting smoke.