Overview
- United Express Flight 6110, flying from Lubbock to Houston, diverted to San Antonio on Wednesday after a passenger’s device battery began smoking.
- Pilots declared an emergency during the flight, according to tracking data, and the aircraft landed and taxied to a gate without incident.
- Cabin crew placed the smoking battery in a fire containment bag as a precaution to isolate heat and fumes.
- Mesa Airlines, which operates the route for United Express, is organizing a recovery flight to move passengers on to Houston.
- The FAA explains that lithium‑ion batteries can enter thermal runaway when damaged, defective, overcharged, or shorted, and the confined, pressurized cabin can make the hazard worse.