A 75-year-old woman’s fatal burns from an exploding power bank on her lap, combined with a mid-flight inferno injuring another passenger, forced regulators to reissue a massive recall—exposing the hidden dangers lurking in your pocket charger.
Story Snapshot
- 429,000 Casely E33A power banks recalled after 79 total incidents, including one death and a plane fire.
- August 2024: Elderly New Jersey woman died from second- and third-degree burns when device exploded while charging her phone.
- February incident: 47-year-old woman suffered first-degree burns from onboard airplane explosion.
- CPSC reannounced recall last week following 28 new reports since April 2025 initial alert.
- Lithium-ion thermal runaway fuels fires reaching 900°C, hard to extinguish and prone to reignition.
Casely Power Bank Defects Trigger Fatal Explosion
Casely imported 5000mAh MagSafe-compatible wireless chargers, model E33A, sold online from March 2022 to September 2024 for $30 to $70.
These devices overheated, swelled, and ignited during phone charging. In August 2024, a 75-year-old New Jersey woman placed one on her lap. It exploded, inflicting second- and third-degree burns that proved fatal.
Airplane Fire Exposes Aviation Battery Risks
A 47-year-old woman charged her phone with a Casely E33A on a plane in February. The power bank caught fire and exploded, causing first-degree burns.
U.S. airspace logged 446 battery incidents from 2006 to May 2023, with 24 in 2023 alone involving phones, laptops, and vapes. No airline details emerged, but the event amplified calls for stricter FAA and TSA rules on portable chargers.
CPSC Reannounces Recall After Incident Surge
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission first recalled the power banks in April 2025 after 51 reports and six minor burns. Regulators then documented 28 more incidents, prompting last week’s reannouncement for 429,000 units.
Consumers must stop using them immediately. Casely offers free replacements but warns against regular trash disposal due to fire risk. Hazardous waste centers handle proper disposal.
Hundreds of thousands of power banks were recalled after one of the products reportedly exploded, killing a woman.https://t.co/rkf5z07645
— Mid-Michigan NOW (@midmichigannow) April 21, 2026
Devices bear “E33A” on the back and “Casely” engraving on the front. CPSC directors enforce these measures, holding importers accountable. Victims’ reports drove the action, underscoring consumer vigilance in product safety.
Stakeholders Respond to Mounting Pressure
Casely manages replacements and disposal guidance, motivated by liability and safety claims. CPSC prioritizes public protection through regulatory authority. Victims include the deceased woman, the burned passenger, and six others with minor injuries. Retailers like Amazon facilitated sales.
Recall reannounced for power banks after charger causes fire on plane, death to 75-year-old woman https://t.co/FYIEC5BmJ0
— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) April 20, 2026
A parallel VRURC OD-B7 recall followed a separate plane fire injuring four crew members via smoke inhalation. The Chinese firm cited a manufacturing defect, echoing Casely patterns. Both cases highlight the vulnerabilities of imported products.
Lithium-Ion Thermal Runaway Fuels Broader Crisis
Lithium cells trigger thermal runaway, where overheating propagates, fires reach up to 900°C, and reignite despite suppression efforts. This chain reaction explains why power bank blazes are hard to control.
Broader recalls covered more than 30,000 wireless units and 1.1 million power banks due to similar fires and explosions. Industry experts note overheating and swelling as common precursors.
Impacts Ripple Through Consumers and Aviation
Short-term effects affect 429,000 owners with immediate disposal needs and replacement wait times. Families grieve the fatality while aviation crews face ongoing threats.
Economically, Casely bears costs; socially, trust erodes in wireless tech. In the long term, expect rigorous battery testing and potential import bans. Political pressure mounts on the CPSC to issue proactive recalls, reflecting the personal responsibility and government efficiency.
Sources:
Recall reannounced for power banks after charger causes fire on plane, death to 75-year-old woman
Power bank recalled after fire on passenger plane injures four of the crew
