Not turbulence or illness: Flight with 461 passengers detours and makes an emergency landing. The reason: an iPad

Flight diversions are nothing new in aviation. Often, planes are rerouted mid-air due to bad weather, medical emergencies, or technical issues. But every once in a while, a flight is forced to change course for reasons so unexpected, they leave everyone scratching their heads.

One such strange incident unfolded recently when a Lufthansa Airbus A380, packed with 461 passengers, suddenly diverted from its transatlantic route. The flight had departed Los Angeles, bound for Munich, and was cruising smoothly for about three hours when pilots made the surprising decision to land at Boston Logan International Airport instead. What exactly could have caused such a massive detour on one of the world’s largest passenger planes?

As it turns out, the culprit wasn’t an engine failure, passenger disturbance, or even turbulence — it was a jammed iPad in a business-class seat. According to reports in Business Insider, the device, identified as an iPad, had become stuck and showed visible signs of damage after the seat’s mechanical movements crushed it. The situation grew serious because of the lithium battery inside the device, which posed a risk of overheating — a potential hazard that can lead to fires or explosions.

Emergency landing
Recognising the danger, the crew, in coordination with air traffic control, decided not to take any chances. Although no immediate fire or smoke was reported, the risk of a battery thermal runaway was enough to prompt an emergency landing. Once safely on the ground, the damaged iPad was carefully removed and inspected to ensure no further threat remained. There was a delay of about three hours and the flight arrived in Munich much later than scheduled.

Previously, passengers aboard United Airlines Flight UA 198 were ready for a long-haul trip from Los Angeles to Shanghai when their journey took a bizarre twist. About two hours into the flight, the pilot realised he had forgotten a crucial item — his passport. Since he couldn't enter China without it, the flight had no choice but to turn around. Instead of returning to LAX, the plane was rerouted to San Francisco. According to FlightAware, the plane landed around 5 PM local time, leaving 257 stunned passengers grappling with the rare mid-air blunder.