hughw

This is scary stuff.

”A fire from the battery of an electrical device aboard a United Airlines flight forced a Newark-bound plane to return to San Diego on Tuesday and sent four people to the hospital, officials say.

“The flight crew aboard United Flight 2664 prevented the fire from spreading further, and the plane returned to the airport, according to a tweet from the San Diego Fire Department.”


https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/u...zed/index.html Another source indicated it was an external battery pack.

CApreppie

Just saw this on Google News. The headline of that article didn't specify passenger battery. I was thinking plane battery a la 787. Well it appears they have fire bags for these bad incidents. This is why airlines are very concerned about passengers putting lithium ion batteries in the cargo hold...

Glad it was contained!

riphamilton

i believe at least all mainline a/c have a bag on board that’s specifically designed to contain lithium battery fires. great work by the crew here, no doubt.

hopefully UA (or whichever agency investigates this) names and shames the manufacturer if it was defective. these things can be incredibly volatile if designed, produced or handled haphazardly.

Aussienarelle

I am in SAN today and just heard this on the local NPR channel. SAN-EWR flight.

Not many details and 4 people taken to hospital for smoke inhalation which does not sound good.

Looking for more details about the incident.

Lux Flyer

What more details are there? Someone's laptop battery/power bank caught fire. It was prevented from spreading and secured in a thermal containment bag. The flight returned to SAN, with a couple people/crew (likely near the incident and close to the smoke put out) were evaluated/transported for further evaluation. The flight went out with a new crew/plane 4 hours later

Aussienarelle

I had not heard it was a battery pack for a laptop. What brand?

LarryJ

Each mainline airplane has at least two fire containment bags. We have one in the cockpit for our company iPads then a larger one in the cabin. The bags each have two bit fire mitts to protect the hands of the person who is putting the device into the bag. The bag then zips closed and deprives the fire of oxygen.

Please follow the rules regarding battery use and stowage. They are designed to ensure that we can successfully fight any battery fire that occurs onboard.

The ones in the 737 look like this.

escapefromphl

If you have a regular laptop, cellphone etc there are no rules that affect you, you are allowed to put your laptop in your carryon or checked luggage.

SFO 1K

Ehhhh.... not quite. Emphasis mine above and below.

https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/

Specific to batteries installed in devices:
Most consumer personal electronic devices containing batteries are allowed in carry-on and checked baggage, including but not limited to cell phones, smart phones, data loggers, PDAs, electronic games, tablets, laptop computers, cameras, camcorders, watches, calculators, etc. This covers typical dry cell batteries and lithium metal and lithium ion batteries for consumer electronics (AA, AAA, C, D, button cell, camera batteries, laptop batteries, etc.)

Devices containing lithium metal or lithium ion batteries (laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.) should be carried in carry-on baggage when possible. When portable electronic devices powered by lithium batteries are in checked baggage, they must be completely powered off and protected to prevent unintentional activation or damage. In electronic devices capable of generating extreme heat, heating elements must be isolated which could cause a fire if activated, by removal of the heating element, battery or other components.

Spare (uninstalled) lithium metal and lithium ion batteries are always prohibited in checked baggage and must be placed in carry-on. When a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or at planeside, any spare lithium batteries must be removed from the bag and kept with the passenger in the aircraft cabin.

See separate entry in this chart for electronic smoking devices. These are always prohibited in checked baggage.

Quantity limits: There are no quantity limits for "personal use*," except that larger lithium ion batteries and spare nonspillable wet (gel cell, absorbed electrolyte) batteries are limited to two per person. For size restrictions on lithium metal, lithium ion, and nonspillable wet (gel cell, absorbed electrolyte) batteries, see separate "Spare batteries" entries in this table or consult "Airline Passengers and Batteries" link below. * "Personal use" does not include items for resale or distribution.

Spare batteries must be protected from damage and short circuit.

See the regulation: 49 CFR 175.10(a)(18)

Damaged or recalled batteries and battery-powered devices, which are likely to create sparks or generate a dangerous evolution of heat must not be carried aboard an aircraft (e.g. carry-on or checked baggage) unless the damaged or recalled battery has been removed, or otherwise made safe. The airline may offer further public guidance on transporting individual recalled products.

mahasamatman

A vast majority of the fires come from damaged or mistreated batteries.

Dublin_rfk

I was / am greatly amused by a broadcast news story on a major network said several flight attendants were transported to a hospital and goes on to quote a SDSF Battalion chief (the story gives his name) as saying he recommends flying with batteries that are less than 30% charged.

hughw

None of know the actual reason this battery ignited....so this is just an educated guess. One, if this was an external battery as reported, it quite likely was a third party battery from perhaps a no-name manufacturer with less stringent quality control than most laptops. Two, chances are the battery was being charged, not used.....why use an external battery if you can plug your laptop directly in to an outlet? And, if I'm not mistaking, charging a battery with incorrect or faulty current delivery can increase chance of fire.

mrdeke

So what we typically call a "battery" is actually a battery-charging pack, not a "spare (uninstalled) lithium battery." This device is a box with charging circuity and batteries installed in it.

So I'm allowed to carry a battery pack in my checked luggage, but not an uninstalled battery, right?

Xyzzy

I'm fairly certain that what you call a "battery charging pack" would be deemed by most airline personnel to be unacceptable in checked luggage

mrdeke

I wonder where they draw the line. I also have a multi-function lantern with internal lithium ion batteries. It functions as a lantern but also charges my phone.

Is the issue that it contains a battery, or that it can charge other devices?