Washington
—
In a safety alert, Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration once more warned airlines of the danger of lithium batteries carried onboard planes by passengers and crew members.
Cell telephones, laptops, transportable energy banks, e-cigarettes, and listening to aids are just a few of the many units with the batteries that might malfunction, create a ‘thermal runaway’ and ignite a hearth.
“Lithium batteries stored in passenger overhead bins and or in carry-on baggage, may be obscured, difficult to access, or not readily monitored by passengers or crewmembers,” the alert notes. “Because of this, detection of thermal runaway and firefighting measures may be delayed in flight, increasing the risk to safety.”
The alert comes days after the FAA demonstrated for NCS how a thermal runaway in a battery energy pack in a seat again pocket might immediately launch a violent bathe of sparks and ignite a hearth.
“Use of Halon extinguishers can briefly suppress open flames, however they do not halt the thermal runaway process,” the FAA notes in the alert. “The primary response involves using large amounts of water to cool the battery and suppress flames.”
The FAA tracked 50 verified battery associated incidents by means of August, based on the company’s statistics.
The alert encourages airlines to “consider the hazard posed by the stowage of lithium batteries in areas not visible or easily accessible to passengers or crewmembers, such as in overhead bins or in carry-on baggage.”
Southwest Airlines is at present the solely main U.S. service which requires transportable chargers and energy banks to be “in plain sight” if they’re getting used throughout flight.
Generally, spare lithium batteries are prohibited in all checked baggage.