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Video of laptop exploding at LAX

by Justin Glow (RSS feed) on Feb 21st 2008 at 1:00PM

Allegedly, the video above was taken at LAX when, for reasons unknown, a laptop bursts into flames with several small explosions. Laptop batteries have been known to overheat and catch fire, but this seems pretty powerful. What if this would have happened on the plane? (Some NSFW audio.)

What strange things have been found on planes?

Click the image to read the bizarre story...

Filed under: Gear, Video

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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)

Billy Feb 22nd 2008 10:39PM

Emma and everyone, very astute! A couple of things caught my attention in this clip. The laptop was sitting on the floor of a public place. It appeared to be 'unattended?" Anyone that owns a laptop would NEVER sit in on the floor in a public place and then leave it out of arm's reach! This is definately a planned 'filming'. The real question is WHY? I think that is obvious. Just another way for Big Brother to deny more of our freedoms.

nlr Feb 22nd 2008 10:42PM

this is so dumb i'm not even going to comment on the supposed laptop "explosion."
as an engineer, i travel with laptops and use them exclusively. in terms of travel, a business laptop has to remain with me at all times because of company proprietary data on it.

D Feb 22nd 2008 10:46PM

OK, you guys. Let look at this a little more closely. Of course we are missing the tid-bits just before the incident was recorded. However, if you look closely, and use a bit of imagination you may see some logic hear.

Now, I've been to an airport terminal a time or two. And you would be hard pressed to not find someone on a laptop. In fact, it's quite common nowadays. So, here's what I believe.

First, there was smoke. OH forgot, nearly everyone has a camera phone nowadays too. Again, first there was smoke. Maybe the owner freaked a bit when his/her laptop started to smoke. I know I would. Then jumped up, freaking out a bit. THEN, the camera phone(s) popped out. Nothing too curious or suspicious about that...right? No conspiracy here. However, I don't believe anyone was expecting the computer to create such a fuss and fizzle.

Remember? Cheap cell phone batteries catching fire, the same with cheap extension chords? I not saying is wasn't the power converter or battery. But, these things do tend to catch fire once in a while. It just happened here, and it was caught on camera[phone].

Nothing more.

This reminds me nf a familiar incident. My wife and I were just leaving a book store in Glendale, CA...just crossed the street when all of a sudden we heard screeching tires, a couple hard thuds, then "smash", broken glass...lots of it. I looked around but couldn't readily see anything, but just noticed the frond door to a Old Navy store all smashed in. From across the street we could now see, a car crashed right through the front door, and was completely inside the store. The car managed to squeeze between a lamp post and another car, missing pedestrians, crash through the front door, and no one got hit or hurt. Quite incredible. Well, anyway, a van pulled into the parking spot the car just drove through. About 5 to 10 minutes later a guy shows up next to us and starts talking about how this car Flew through the air, over one parked car and missing the van. That didn't happen, but that what he believed.

j Feb 23rd 2008 2:38PM

This is a hoax.

Watch again. The film is edited. The lead starts with the fire extinguisher already discharged and the laptop open and un harmed in the middle of the "white deterent". There is no apparent damage, burn marks on the lap top at all.

After the lead then the play; where something did blaze but not the lap top. Possibly the power adapter.

dot Feb 22nd 2008 11:57PM

I think it was a ploy. Also the laptop was on the floor carpeting..might have been a problem with the fan and heat build up. Before we get too excited we need more information! Don't you think so?

Shawn Feb 23rd 2008 12:18AM

Don't be a dick.

Alaskop Feb 23rd 2008 12:28AM

The security camera WAS NOT focused on the laptop as some people suggest. The camera in airports are continually on and can be zoomed, panned etc. When an incident happens, the dispatcher can find the section of video by time and then zoom in to a specific area. They then transfer that particular footage to a DVD for evidence

Bobby Feb 23rd 2008 8:38AM

One random video & here we go with the conspiracy theories the gov't is trying to deprive us of our liberties. Is it trendy now to flame the authorities on every single topic? I think it's lame as hell,, it's a video people, origin unknown, get a grip...

kevin Feb 23rd 2008 12:47AM

Bullshit...this isn't even LAX!!

Justme Feb 23rd 2008 12:49AM

This was staged. No one leaves their laptop sitting unattended while they go who knows where. And who do you think did the video taping... duh... the owner!!! This is just someone trying to get their 15 minutes of fame. This crap is so phony!

angel Feb 23rd 2008 1:11AM

bahahahaha

i laughed out loud when i read this.

dudes dont take it seriously, god, its just a joke.

i get it.

ahahha

TMC Feb 23rd 2008 1:17AM

The person who staged this should be arrested and jailed.

jokesl3 Feb 23rd 2008 2:33AM

What a crock.

SMSgt Bo Feb 23rd 2008 3:20AM

As mentioned before that was the transformer malfunctioning. I'm sure it was dropped or otherwise damaged before it was plugged in. All the user had to do was unplug it when it began to heat up and smoke and this would have never happened. By leaving it plugged into a 110 volt power source it eventually melted down. This would not happen in an aircraft as there is nowhere to plug a laptop into and the battery has a mucher lower voltage output.

Stan Feb 23rd 2008 3:38AM

When I was in the military, we had problems like this. It's called a "Thermal runaway". When you charge a battery, it will get hot. When you discharge that same battery it will get hotter. The battery can and will overheat and meltdown.

Ken Feb 23rd 2008 4:25AM

TSA is a joke, like Worldwimp... I mean WorldWIDE Security (who I had the misfortune of working for), and the FAA. A lot of us know that they'll over-react to this.

When I was a guard at the airport, under Worldwimp, I actually saw an FAA lady (kind of, I guess, she looked like a dude) get arrested for attempting to breach security, and not as a test for the guards.

Sorry if this is off topic. I know the FAA and TSA are gonna go ballistic over this.

Denise Feb 23rd 2008 4:40AM

Simple, just make sure they don't have the battery in the Laptop if they must have it with them. as for the person who asked. ... what was it just doing sitting there by itself? someone was charging the battery , you can see the cord connected it to it, when the man (which it probably belonged to) moved it away you can see that the box where you connect the ac wire to before plugging it into the wall is what emitting sparks then fire . Also the voice in the background speaking in spanish at the end of the vid is saying just that , but by looking at it you can see it yourself. look at the whole scene not just the laptop :)

chasae Feb 23rd 2008 4:43AM

Oh yeah right. A laptop just "happens" to be sitting in the middle of the floor with no one around it.....except for of course all the people walking by it as it sits there. Then it mysteriously "explodes" while some "lucky" individual, who just happened to be recording the laptop several minutes BEFORE it exploded, gets it all on video. "Amazing".

Denise Feb 23rd 2008 4:48AM

PS. It pays to have learned another language ;)

Wendi Feb 23rd 2008 12:56PM

First I think this is staged somehow- DUMB!!!!!!

Second, for the dude who thinks laptops ought to be in the cargo hold......

Yes, back in the day all it took was a good book and a coke(pepsi in my case :) but times have changed, and so have people's jobs, personal needs, etc. I travel with my laptop for pleasure, I don't use it on the plane, but I can understand that others who have to work, have to do it. So relax and don't judge others. Obviously they can't go below for obvious reasons- too expensive, it could get stolen, etc.

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