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Airline’s Ex-CEO Blamed for Causing Mid-Air Explosion

The airline has not confirmed the passenger’s identity.

An airline’s former CEO has been accused of breaking company policy and causing a mid-air explosion, according to local media citing sources. Camiel Eurlings was reportedly on board a KLM flight from Amsterdam Schiphol in the Netherlands to Curaçao International Airport in the Caribbean when the jet was forced to turn around over the Atlantic and head back to Europe on Thursday night. Sources told Dutch outlets RTL and NU.NL that the fire started when a passenger, allegedly Eurlings, charged a power bank and fell asleep. KLM forbids passengers from using or charging power banks on board its flights. Two sources said that passengers aboard the Boeing 777-300ER heard a loud crash and the power bank exploded. “Suddenly a bang was heard,” a source told RTL. “After that, there was an immediate fire; large flames were coming out above the seat. The bang was the power bank exploding and immediately catching fire.” Passengers praised the crew’s handling of the incident, with one source saying, “A fire broke out, but it was extinguished immediately.” KLM has not confirmed that it was Eurlings’ power bank or whether he was involved, saying in a statement, “That is privacy-sensitive information.” Its spokesperson added that one man “sustained burns.” Eurlings was CEO from 2013 to 2014. The Daily Beast has contacted KLM and Eurlings for comment.