It was an unsettling 24 hours for travelers flying to and from the Hawaiian Islands. In two separate incidents on different airlines, passengers and crew members faced unexpected emergencies that required urgent action in the skies.
Thanks to well-trained crews and established aviation safety protocols, what could have become catastrophic events were handled with precision and calm. These rare events serve as powerful reminders of the skill and preparation that go into every flight to and from paradise.
Burning phone triggers Hawaiian Airlines emergency.
On April 28, 2025, a Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 operating Flight HA457 from Honolulu to Tokyo Haneda faced a serious mid-air scare as the aircraft began its descent toward Tokyo. A passenger’s mobile phone overheated and caught fire, according to a report by The Aviation Herald.
Crew members quickly intervened, extinguishing the fire and securing the device inside a fireproof bag. These specialized bags are designed to contain heat, smoke, and potential explosions from malfunctioning lithium-ion batteries, preventing further danger to passengers and the aircraft.
The flight landed safely on Haneda’s runway 34R without further problems. No evacuation was necessary. Japan’s Ministry of Transport confirmed the fire and praised the crew’s swift and effective response.
The aircraft remained on the ground for about five hours before departing for the return flight to Honolulu, arriving with a delay.
Hawaiian Airlines later issued a statement noting that an electrical smell was detected after a passenger’s phone became lodged in a seat, prompting the crew to declare an emergency to ensure priority landing clearance.
All 140 passengers safely disembarked, and the device was removed without additional complications. We currently have no details about whether that seat was in business (which converts to a lie-flat bed) or an economy class, manually reclining seat.
Door sensor alert forces mid-air diversion from Hawaii.
Just hours later, another emergency unfolded involving a flight from Hawaii to the mainland. United Airlines Flight 1731, a Boeing 777-200, had departed Kona International Airport en route to Denver when the cockpit received an alert indicating that a cargo door might be open in flight.
The crew immediately descended from cruising altitude at 37,000 feet to just 9,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean, a standard precaution to depressurize the aircraft in case the door was genuinely compromised.
For nearly three and a half hours, the jet cruised low over the ocean before reaching San Francisco International Airport, where it landed safely around 3:45 a.m. local time.
Door sensors are vital safety devices that monitor the status of cargo doors throughout a flight. Any indication of a problem, whether real or false, must be treated with the utmost seriousness.
United dispatched a replacement Boeing 777 to complete the journey to Denver later that day. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it would investigate the incident, following standard procedure for technical diversions involving commercial aircraft.
United later emphasized that the issue appeared to be caused by a faulty sensor and that safety had never been compromised.
Passenger reports described a sudden, steep descent during the night, with flight attendants instructing everyone to remain seated. Some travelers compared the pressure changes to a sharp roller coaster drop, while others noted the eerie sight of the moonlit ocean just a few thousand feet below for hours.
Safety systems working as designed: what travelers should know.
While both incidents were unsettling for those on board, they also demonstrated how nuanced airline safety protocols function, which is exactly as intended. From smoke containment bags to mandatory diversion procedures, airlines are prepared for rare emergencies like these.
According to industry data, there are roughly 100 reported lithium-ion thermal runaway incidents aboard commercial flights each year worldwide, out of tens of millions of flights. That equates to a minimal risk for passengers.
Modern aircraft are equipped to detect and isolate problems long before they can escalate. Whether it’s a device overheating in the cabin or a warning system picking up a faulty signal, pilots and crews are trained to respond decisively and prioritize passenger safety, as seen in these two incidents.
Both episodes will now enter formal reviews by the respective airlines and, in the case of the United flight, the FAA. It is another reminder that while inflight emergencies make headlines, the overwhelming majority of flights are uneventful thanks to careful design, technology, and crew vigilance.
If you’ve ever experienced an unusual event while flying to or from Hawaii, we’d love to hear about it. Share your experiences in the comments below.
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I had a guy die in the bathroom on a Southwest flight back in February from Vegas to Kona. They had to seat him in the 2nd row with his widow right behind me with a blanket over him. Of course a lot of us were freaked out by it. Poor guy! He was already on oxygen. I believe he was probably a local who was vacationing on our 9th island. As my 84 yr old father in law who’s in poor health goes to fly home tomorrow from Kona, yeah I’m a little worried about how he’s gonna do.
I shopped online for a personal “aircraft flight safety bag” that was FAA rated and designed to contain a lithium-ion battery fire from my cell phone or tablet, or from phones/tablets near me on my flights.
The prices in the $2,600 to $3,000 range per bag, and the extremely low incident rate (“100 thermal runaway incidents per tens of millions of flights”), convinced me to cancel my plans to purchase such a very expensive bag. I decided to depend on the odds being strongly in my favor, and an airline’s onboard thermal runaway bag.
Flightaware.com shows the tracking of the flight and the steep descent. Looks like this all happened about halfway between HNL and SFO. Presumably, because of stronger winds going westbound, it was faster to go to SFO than back to HNL.
“According to industry data, there are roughly 100 reported lithium-ion thermal runaway incidents aboard commercial flights each year worldwide, out of tens of millions of flights. That equates to a minimal risk for passengers.”
I question your paragraph, especially your conclusion. Onboard lithium products are a risk, and serious risk in my opinion. There have been deaths. Additionally, many incidents are emotionally distressing, sometimes long-lasting, to crew and passengers even though the aircraft lands without physical injury to anyone. Please read just these two articles and reconsider what you have written:
I appreciate and enjoy your articles, but this paragraph upset me enough to make a comment.
Thank you.
Glad everything worked out okay, but it makes you wonder how airlines can better manage all these electronic devices in the cabin. Seems like the risks are only getting higher.
Flight crews are trained to contain lithium-ion battery fires. Aircrafts are also supplied with the fire containment bags and must be monitered after catching fire. If by chance there are no containment bags an alternative, for example, could be an unused oven. This is why passengers are instructed to Not stow anything with a lithium battery in carry on luggage.
Honestly, cruising 9,000 feet above the Pacific for over three hours sounds absolutely pretty horrible. Major respect to the pilots for staying calm. That must have felt endless for passengers.
Incredible job by both flight crews! It’s comforting to know how seriously even small issues are taken. I’ll definitely be checking where my phone is stowed next time I fly and hope to hear more about how this even happened.