Air India Flight Incident: Avoiding Dangerous Mishaps with Mobile Power Banks

An Air India flight from Udaipur to Delhi experienced a delay of at least one hour due to a passenger’s mobile phone charger malfunctioning and emitting smoke. The flight, AI 470, had already started moving away from the gate when the passenger noticed the overheating charger and informed the cabin crew. In the interest of passenger safety, the aircraft was brought back to the gate. The cause of the charger malfunction is still unclear, although officials suspect it may have been a power bank.

Mobile phone explosions have become more common, with stories of financial loss and loss of life dominating the headlines. In recent years, there have also been reports of mobile phones catching fire mid-flight.

This article discusses why cell phones and power banks can explode and how to stay safe:

Using generic, counterfeit or damaged power banks

Power banks – like phone batteries – are made of lithium ion and are fragile and prone to swelling. As a result, using a damaged power bank is never a good idea. If you drop a power bank and find it swells up or doesn’t work as well as before, it’s best to dispose of it as soon as possible to avoid a safety hazard.

We have also noticed that many small retailers – especially roadside shops – are selling counterfeit products that imitate popular brands. Counterfeit products are often poorly made and dangerous, so never buy them.

Never use cheap, non-certified cables and chargers to charge devices

It is known that most cheap and unauthorized download solutions are not quality checked and are not optimized for most devices. As a result, their use poses a safety risk, and cheap third-party chargers have caused several explosions. We’re not saying you should never buy third-party chargers, but investing in a high-quality charger certified by your phone’s OEM can be an option.

Using third party batteries; Unofficial fixes

Many people use unofficial batteries when they need to replace the battery of a device or have their phone repaired at a local shop. However, these batteries may not be properly sealed, which can lead to safety issues. Additionally, third party batteries may not be as well optimized or quality controlled as OEM batteries, which can also lead to problems. Therefore, it is recommended to use only OEM batteries and not cheap official repairs when replacing your device’s battery.

Using the phone while it is hot or charging

Smartphones have made significant advances in heat and thermal management – thanks to the large cooling elements and heat removal systems built into the devices themselves.

However, as phones become faster and more powerful with larger batteries – it’s undeniable that terms are still a problem – as our current technology is limited by the laws of thermodynamics. Therefore, if you notice that your phone is getting hot, it is best to stop using it for a while. Also, using your phone while charging is also not a good idea, so avoid it.

Using damaged phones

If you dropped your phone and the back glass is broken, it is likely that dust and other objects will enter the body and slowly damage the phone. If water gets in, corrosion will also occur. Therefore, if you break your device, it is best to have it repaired as soon as possible, but always at an official, reliable repair shop.