The passenger dropped a technology device during the flight. This led to the plane being forced to return to the airport, writes New York Post.

“I’ve never heard anything like it before,” air traffic control told the pilot. On October 15, a United Airlines plane was en route to Rome. But less than an hour into the flight, the plane was forced to return to the airport in Virginia.

“We have a minor situation here with a passenger who somehow dropped a laptop along the side wall and into the cargo hold of the plane,” one of the pilots told air traffic control.

The laptop had lithium-ion batteries, which can pose a safety risk on airplanes if damaged or overheated, leading to a ban on carrying them in checked baggage. There have been over 50 lithium-ion battery-related incidents on United States of Americaflights this year, according to the US aviation authority FAA.

“Unfortunately, we have to get permission to return,” one of the pilots told air traffic control.

”Never heard anything like it before”

The pilot said the laptop was running when the passenger dropped it in the cargo hold and they didn't know how long the battery would last before it ran out.

"We don't know the status of it, we can't access it and we can't see it. So our decision is to go back and find this laptop before we can continue," the pilot said.

Instead of calling it an emergency, the pilot described it as a precautionary measure.

”I've never heard anything like this before,” air traffic control said to the pilot, who replied that it was “the first time” for him too.

After returning to the airport in Virginia, retrieving the laptop from the cargo hold, refueling, and resuming the flight, the plane arrived in Rome five hours later than planned.

Source: Expressen.se