A United Airlines flight from London to Washington was forced to divert to Dublin after a passenger dropped a laptop down the side of a business-class seat, reported New York's Business Insider. The incident posed a fire risk due to the device's lithium battery.

Flight 925, a Boeing 767, turned back over the Atlantic two hours into its journey and landed in Dublin shortly after 8 p.m. local time. Maintenance crews retrieved the laptop and inspected the aircraft before it continued to Washington Dulles, arriving five hours late.

United said the diversion was precautionary. Aviation enthusiasts noted the crew sent an ACARS message confirming the laptop had fallen by a seat, raising concerns about possible overheating or fire.

Lithium batteries can suffer thermal runaway if damaged or overcharged, prompting airlines to tighten rules on portable electronics and power banks.

The aircraft spent nearly three hours on the ground in Dublin before departing at 11 p.m. Passengers reached Washington at 1:14 a.m.

A similar incident occurred five weeks earlier on a United flight from Washington to Rome, when a passenger's laptop fell into the cargo hold. Pilots returned to Dulles, citing safety concerns over the inaccessible device.