United Express Flight Diverts to San Antonio After Passenger Battery Begins Smoking

A passenger's electronic device battery began smoking aboard United Express flight 6110 on Wednesday morning, forcing the Mesa Airlines-operated jet off its Lubbock-to-Houston route and into an unplanned landing in San Antonio, with no one hurt and a recovery flight arranged to carry passengers on to George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The pilots of United Express flight 6110, operated by Mesa Airlines, declared an emergency, according to FlightRadar24. The plane was flying from Lubbock to Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The flight, which was scheduled to land at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston around 11 a.m., landed safely in San Antonio and reached the gate without any further issues.

In a statement, Mesa Airlines said the crew used a containment bag as a precaution. A containment bag was used for the smoking battery, and the flight was diverted to San Antonio Intercontinental Airport (SAT). The aircraft landed at SAT and taxied to the gate without incident, according to airline officials. No injuries were reported.

Crews said they were working on a recovery flight for the passengers on board to get them on their way to Houston's IAH, though officials did not say what caused the battery to start smoking on board.

The incident is a reminder of a well-documented aviation hazard. 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. This can be triggered by manufacturing defects, physical damage, overcharging, or short circuits, and these conditions can be exacerbated in flight by pressure changes, confined storage, or closely packed devices that trap heat. Officials did not confirm whether thermal runaway was the mechanism involved in Wednesday's incident.

No details were released about the type of device involved, the identity of the passenger, or the number of people aboard flight 6110. Mesa Airlines had not issued a follow-up statement detailing the recovery flight's schedule as of Wednesday afternoon.