Overview
- United Airlines flight UA126 left Washington Dulles for Rome on October 15 but turned back about an hour into the journey, according to air traffic control audio.
- The passenger’s laptop, which was on, slipped behind a cabin wall panel through a gap leading to the cargo area and could not be seen or reached.
- Crew cited concern over the laptop’s lithium‑ion battery being in a location not covered by fire suppression and executed a u‑turn roughly 50 miles off Cape Cod.
- The Boeing 767 landed at Dulles just over two hours after departure, maintenance retrieved the device and inspected the aircraft, and the flight re‑departed around 3:23 a.m.
- United confirmed the precautionary return and the flight ultimately arrived in Rome more than four hours late, a case that reflects wider industry caution over inaccessible electronic devices.