If your phone ever falls between aircraft seats, authorities say you should alert the cabin crew ASAP

Flight attendants are highly trained professionals who are equipped to handle chaotic situations and keep everyone on board calm and safe, which is why it isn't wise to argue with them after they give instructions. Yet, one common mistake passengers often make is trying to pick up their phones that fall in the narrow space between the airplane seats. Although it seems harmless, it could lead to a serious accident. Batteries present in mobile phones, when crushed, can spark a fire. So, the best thing is to inform a flight attendant instead.

One such incident occurred in 2018 on a Qantas flight flying to Melbourne. A passenger's phone accidentally slipped between the seats. But when he reached down to get it, the device began to smolder, resulting in a fire so severe that the pilot had to reroute the plane to Sydney. The flames were immediately controlled by flight attendants using fire extinguishers. Thankfully, the situation was brought under control by their prompt action, as reported by the New York Post. Even though a dropped phone might not seem like a major concern, the confined space of an airplane can make it an emergency.

Concerning this, Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority has also released a cautionary notice. As reported by the Daily Express, they stated, "Smart phones can fall into aircraft seat mechanisms and be crushed when the seat is moved. Passengers are accidentally starting in-flight fires by crushing their lost phone with the reclining mechanism of their chair, damaging the device's battery and sending it into thermal runaway." The statement further read, "This can result in damage to the phone’s lithium battery, which can cause overheating and fire." Mobile phones were also classified among the most undesirable and dangerous items on flights.

The statement further added, "Passengers must remember never to move their seat if a phone goes missing while in-flight and to always ask the aircraft cabin crew for assistance. If a phone is damaged, cabin crew should be alerted immediately." There have been similar incidents in the past few years when phone batteries have caught fire on flights. One alarming incident happened in November 2024 at Denver International Airport. As passengers were boarding a Southwest Airlines flight, someone's phone suddenly burst into flames. The fire spread to a seat, and the owner of the phone ended up with a burned hand. Things got so serious that everyone had to evacuate the plane.

A passenger named Jennifer Rodgers opened up about the incident and said, "Everybody saw the smoke because it kind of filled the back of the cabin. And then somebody screamed 'Fire.' Everybody kind of stood up, was trying to figure out what was happening." As reported by CBS News, she also said, "At least the fire was already out, but the smell was really bad from the lithium battery or whatever it was. A girl was holding a Samsung phone that sort of started smoking. It burned her hands. And they just told us to get out." Meanwhile, pilot Patrick Smith once shared that phones in the plane’s cargo hold could be even more dangerous, as reported by Unilad.