On-board battery fires

[Chuck Albertson]

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I couldn't find the most recent thread on lithium batt fires on aircraft, so posting this here about an on-board battery fire on a SAS flight boarding in Oslo: https://avherald.com/h?article=52fe8862

In other news, a United flight from London to Washington DC a couple of days ago had to turn around and divert to Dublin after a passenger in business class dropped their laptop into the space between the fold-flat seat and the bulkhead. The crew couldn't retrieve it in flight and, concerned about its batt shorting out/overheating, flew to Dublin. Even on the ground, it took them three hours to retrieve the bugger. Apparently, this is the second such occurrence on a United 767 in the past several weeks. 

[frame-it]

last month

 

[PhotoCruiser]

Yes, the happen and ways too much.

Thinking about why so much fires on planes make me believe that the reason is social-media and general press sensibility to battery fires in planes what certainly is not a bad thing.
I can't imagine the reason why batteries should catch fire more frequent in places than elsewhere, except that some people carry batteries and power banks unsafe, in a way where the enegized poles can short whet is the main reason for batteries catching fire. However this is not the case for laptops/tablets/clee phones or other devices where battery is difficult to remove or used during flight.
I did many flights with cameras and laptops, but many more including scuba dive gear where i carry more cameras, dive lamps, etc and i was lucky that never something caught fire. I store all batteries in bags or pouches where the battery poles can't short and never any battery in checked luggage.

Not sure how long it will take that FIAA forbid totally power banks, not only limit their power as it's actually.

Chris