Former airline CEO forces flight to turn back after ignoring rules and causing fire by plugging in a power bank

A former airline CEO allegedly caused a plane to have to turn around over the Atlantic Ocean after reportedly ignoring rules and causing carnage aboard the flight. Former KLM chief, Camiel Eurlings, allegedly plugged a portable phone charger in during a flight from Amsterdam despite safety instructions telling passengers not to. The power bank subsequently burst into flames.

Rules and safety instructions on planes aren’t just there to make life more inconvenient for the passenger; more often than not, if airline staff say to do, or not do, something, there is good reason for it. Most airlines have the same rules: put your phone in airplane mode; don’t use electronics during takeoff or landing. 

Some have also clamped down on the use of phone chargers, charging cables, and portable chargers too. Passengers are expected to unplug devices if there is any sign of overheating or smoke coming from them.

Eurlings’ case is an example of what could potentially happen if those rules are not followed, as his portable charger caught fire aboard the plane, reports Dexerto. Ironically, Eurlings was previously the CEO of an airline that followed the same rules he allegedly ignored.

The plane was forced to turn around

A picture of the aftermath of the fire was shared on Reddit. It shows the scorched window blind and black burn marks across the wall. It seems staff believed that the fire was enough of a hazard to disrupt the flight and turn around. But there was one problem: they were six hours into the flight and were right over the Atlantic Ocean.

The flight had been heading for Curaçao from Amsterdam, but ultimately ended up having to turn around and head all the way back to Amsterdam. One passenger who spoke to a Netherlands outlet said that they were “very upset” about the disruption. They also didn’t mince words when it came to Eurlings, calling him “stupid.”

On Reddit, netizens agreed, with one person writing, “If you are just a passenger, such a mistake can happen. But if you have enforced the company’s house rules, then this is very strange.” 

Another Redditor suggested that Camiel Eurlings had put the lives of the passengers and crew in danger by allegedly ignoring the rules: “Just imagine what could have happened if the crew hadn’t managed to contain the fire…” Others suggested that the CEO had embodied a double standard with his actions, and that it was, “Rules for thee, but not for me!”

In the end, the passengers aboard the flight were rebooked for another flight the following day, making it to Curaçao without any further disruptions or further delays.