Power Bank Fire Delays Air Seoul’s Da Nang Flight

As of September 25, 2026, officials say a power bank tucked inside a passenger's bag caught fire under a seat aboard an Air Seoul flight from Incheon to Da Nang, Vietnam, the night before, just moments before takeoff. Cabin crew extinguished the flames quickly and no one was hurt, but the flight was delayed nearly three hours after the airline swapped in a replacement aircraft.

221 passengersPeople on board when the fire broke out

170 minutesHow much the replacement flight's departure was delayed

2 passengersPassengers who opted out of boarding the replacement plane

Key points

The fire broke out the night of Sept. 24 as Air Seoul flight RS511 prepared to leave Incheon for Da Nang; investigators traced it to a power bank inside a pouch, inside a bag stowed under a seat.
Several passengers who breathed in the acrid smoke said they had trouble breathing, but none were taken to a hospital and no serious injuries were reported.
Air Seoul had all passengers deplane and swapped in a different aircraft, and in the process some passengers chose to skip the trip and rebook on a later flight instead.
The power bank reportedly already had anti-short-circuit precautions in place, yet still caught fire — authorities are now investigating exactly how it happened.

On the night of Sept. 24, a fire broke out aboard an Air Seoul plane just before it was set to leave Incheon International Airport for Da Nang, Vietnam. Investigators say the blaze started in a power bank stashed inside a pouch, inside a bag a passenger had placed under their seat.

Cabin crew jumped into action the moment they spotted the fire, and airport fire trucks rolled up to check on the situation and everyone's condition. A handful of passengers who'd inhaled the acrid smoke said they had trouble breathing, but none needed hospital treatment, and there were no serious injuries.

There were 228 people on board at the time, counting passengers and crew, and many were reportedly families traveling to Da Nang together for the Chuseok holiday. As a precaution, Air Seoul had everyone deplane and brought in a different aircraft; some passengers opted out of the trip in the process, while the rest boarded the replacement plane.

The power bank in question reportedly already had safeguards in place — its terminals taped over and stored in an insulated pouch — precautions meant to prevent exactly this kind of short circuit. Since it caught fire anyway, Air Seoul and fire officials are now digging into what exactly went wrong, and the airline says it will tighten its power bank safety procedures going forward.

Lithium-ion battery fires on planes are a familiar worry by now. Domestic carriers banned in-flight power bank use altogether earlier this year as rules kept getting stricter, but violations of carry-on battery rules still crop up regularly during big holiday travel rushes like Chuseok.

In Korea right nowCommenters online said they were rattled that a fire like this could break out on a holiday getaway flight, and many asked how to safely pack power banks for carry-on. With Da Nang ranking as one of this Chuseok season's top destinations, the delay has drawn plenty of attention too.

FAQ

Why are power banks such a fire risk on planes?

Lithium-ion batteries can go into thermal runaway — catching fire on their own — if a short circuit or physical damage causes their internal temperature to spike, which is why airlines ban them from checked bags and only allow them in carry-ons.

How were passengers affected by this fire?

Swapping in a whole new aircraft pushed the departure back nearly three hours, and some passengers had to rebook on a later flight.

How should travelers pack power banks safely?

Cover the terminals with tape or a cap, keep them in a separate pouch, carry them only in cabin luggage, and never bring a damaged or swollen unit onboard.