Power Bank Explosion Causes Panic on AirAsia Flight

[Jai Dee]

Several argumentative off-topic posts about EV's have been removed as they contravene our Community Standards.

[transam]

Thinking about it, it is concerning, though a rare..

Every passenger and staff on a plane has a phone with lithium battery, a percentage will have a power bank with them.

We also know you can buy really cheap power banks, so on a plane, there are a lot of lithium batteries to behave........😱

The gases released from a lithium battery are toxic, not good for folk crammed into an aluminium tube.

[Ralf001]

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Yes you are correct, no commercial aircraft carries water fire extinguishers.

 

https://www.h3raviation.com/blogs/blog/choosing-the-right-fire-extinguisher-for-your-aircraft#:~:text=The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration,aircraft it is 2B%3AC.

 

Many airlines are using fire containment bags, like below, for this type of incident, but this was on a budget airline.

 

Yeah fire containment bags were introduced back in 2016 when there was a spate of Samsung telephones doing the exploding thing.

[Georgealbert]

9 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Yeah fire containment bags were introduced back in 2016 when there was a spate of Samsung telephones doing the exploding thing.

Yes, but still only a recommendation, not compulsory, but I now, believe this Thai Air Asia flight had one., 

[Ralf001]

4 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

Yes, but still only a recommendation, not compulsory, but I now, believe this Thai Air Asia flight had one., 

Meh.

[Georgealbert]

40 minutes ago, transam said:

Thinking about it, it is concerning, though a rare..

Every passenger and staff on a plane has a phone with lithium battery, a percentage will have a power bank with them.

We also know you can buy really cheap power banks, so on a plane, there are a lot of lithium batteries to behave........😱

The gases released from a lithium battery are toxic, not good for folk crammed into an aluminium tube.

But there will also be other devices, not just phones and charger.

 

Tablets, e-cigarettes, vape devices, bluetooth headphones, laptops, kids gaming devices and as @Trip Hop stated earlier, power tools. All have Li-ion batteries and some devices will be questionable quality.

[LikeItHot]

Asians can't follow a simple instruction like remain seated until the seatbelt light is off and the plane comes to a complete stop.  I can't imagine these nuts not doing everything possible to prevent the trained staff from doing what they are trained to do in an emergency.  No doubt there were several women screaming at the top of their lungs because that always helps in a crisis. 

[Jimjim1]

9 hours ago, digger70 said:

No problems, there's an easy foolproof solution .

Install a Fire containment bag on the back of the Seats or under  the Seats that can hold Phones and Power banks and maybe Laptops Put all of them in there during the flight No Excuses anymore.

Airlines now offer internet services for the duration of the flight so have you ever tried using your phone etc from a bag and a fire proof one at that.

[Wuvu2]

15 hours ago, Wuvu2 said:

  15 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

Why didn't the oxygen masks deploy?

15 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

I just thought the smoke was bad for breathing. 

 

For sure, but fire is worse!

 

[Dolf]

13 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

First reaction already in.

 

 

There was a 20,000 limit in place already

[SingAPorn]

This is what happens with all the cheap chinese junk that is all over the market in Thailand and all over the popular internet mail order websites.

[Georgealbert]

5 hours ago, Dolf said:

There was a 20,000 limit in place already

Yes, but it would seem that the airport wanted to clarify to every one, of what is supposed to be in place.
 

Whether they felt their own procedures were lacking or it was just a reminder, I don’t know, I was just commenting on the news story.

 

From the article.

 

“Don Mueang Airport to Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday (Feb. 24) and fortunately none of the 186 passengers and crew were harmed with the airplane landing safely at the destination, this airport today published conditions for carrying spare batteries, with power banks being considered one of them, on board on its Facebook page, Thai Rath newspaper said.”

 

[Georgealbert]

6 hours ago, Wuvu2 said:

 

For sure, but fire is worse!

 

The cabin crew would have assessed the situation, to decide if there was either a further risk or need to deploy the masks. The oxygen is chemically produced and not that pleasant (similar to self rescue devices used in industries). The cockpit crews masks are from oxygen cylinders.

 

The details on the cabin oxygen on an A320 are.

 

“The masks are located in containers above the passenger seats. Each container has an electrical latching mechanism that opens automatically to allow the masks to drop, if the cabin pressure altitude exceeds 14,000 ft. The flight crew can override the automatic latching mechanism and launch the masks from the cockpit and there is also a manual release tool that allows cabin crew to open them manually.

Chemical generators produce the oxygen. The generation of oxygen begins when the passenger pulls the mask towards themself and will last for about 13 min, 15 min, or 22 min, depending on the aircraft configuration, until the generator is exhausted.

The chemical reaction used for oxygen generation creates heat. Therefore, the smell of burning, smokes and cabin temperature increase may be associated with the normal operation of the oxygen generators.”

 

 

[digger70]

15 hours ago, Jimjim1 said:

Airlines now offer internet services for the duration of the flight so have you ever tried using your phone etc from a bag and a fire proof one at that.

Easy solution,Don't use your Phone and other devices.  I Never do when Flying .

Most of the time one can watch In flight Movies .

There's no need to use ones Devise All the time .

Only kids and some Adults can't do without, they even take the phone to the Toilet and even use it when Driving and eating. Just plain stupid ,No Brains no consideration .

[transam]

10 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Easy solution,Don't use your Phone and other devices.  I Never do when Flying .

Most of the time one can watch In flight Movies .

There's no need to use ones Devise All the time .

Only kids and some Adults can't do without, they even take the phone to the Toilet and even use it when Driving and eating. Just plain stupid ,No Brains no consideration .

Does a phone or power bank have to be in use to have a battery failure...?  🤔

[digger70]

9 minutes ago, transam said:

Does a phone or power bank have to be in use to have a battery failure...?

Yes, eventually. A battery sitting on the shelf, not connected to anything at all, will slowly lose its charge over time due to internal self-discharge. With the lithium batteries that are usually used in power banks, this process is slow and would take years.

[transam]

5 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Yes, eventually. A battery sitting on the shelf, not connected to anything at all, will slowly lose its charge over time due to internal self-discharge. With the lithium batteries that are usually used in power banks, this process is slow and would take years.

So, a tourist with fully charged power bank for their trip is safe....?

 

[digger70]

3 minutes ago, transam said:

So, a tourist with fully charged power bank for their trip is safe....?

 

Is it safe to take a power bank on a plane?

Most airlines allow passengers to bring power banks in their carry-on luggage, but not in checked baggage, due to the risk of fire caused by lithium-ion batteries. The capacity of the power bank is also typically limited to 100 watt-hours or 27,000mAh.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Is it safe to take a power bank on a plane?

Most airlines allow passengers to bring power banks in their carry-on luggage, but not in checked baggage, due to the risk of fire caused by lithium-ion batteries. The capacity of the power bank is also typically limited to 100 watt-hours or 27,000mAh.

Then it would seem airlines know the risk of a phone/bank battery self igniting but can be dealt with by cabin crew.

I have seen vids of phones self igniting............😱

 

 

[steven100]

Was the power bank that caught fire located in the seat pocket or overhead locker because the story also indicated smoke seen coming from the overhead compartment ...

 

so which is it  ?

[mfinasi]

Just ban them. I can't take on more than 100ml of water, but I can bring on a big heavy volatile powerbank without issue? makes sense... 

 

 

[steven100]

different story but another battery explosion in NYC ...

[steven100]

23 minutes ago, mfinasi said:

Just ban them. I can't take on more than 100ml of water, but I can bring on a big heavy volatile powerbank without issue? makes sense... 

 

 

 

yes I agree .... how silly is that rule,  you can't take water on but a possibly exploding device .. sure .. no problem. 

[Dan O]

On 2/26/2024 at 7:18 AM, Wuvu2 said:

Really???  Oxygen masks are for cabin depressurization situations so people don't pass out. Adding oxygen to a fire would probably lead to an explosion 😉

Oxygen doesn't explode but will accelerate an existing fire. 

[Georgealbert]

55 minutes ago, mfinasi said:

Just ban them. I can't take on more than 100ml of water, but I can bring on a big heavy volatile powerbank without issue? makes sense... 

 

 

What do you suggest they ban?

 

if you ban all devices which have Li-ion batteries, you have to stop phones, tablet, power banks, laptop, e-cigarettes, vape devices, bluetooth headphones, smart watches, some hearing aids, gaming devices, e readers, digital cameras.

[digger70]

1 hour ago, transam said:

Then it would seem airlines know the risk of a phone/bank battery self igniting but can be dealt with by cabin crew.

I have seen vids of phones self igniting............😱

 

 

Yes they know that's why they set the rule  The capacity of the power bank is also typically limited to 100 watt-hours or 27,000mAh.

[Georgealbert]

55 minutes ago, steven100 said:

 

yes I agree .... how silly is that rule,  you can't take water on but a possibly exploding device .. sure .. no problem. 

Liquids, 3-1-1 rule, were first banned in 2006 to prevent liquid explosives from being carried onto planes.

 

This was after a foiled terrorist plot, discovered by the British Metropolitan Police, in which chemicals concealed in soft drink bottles would have been used to down multiple transatlantic flights, from the UK to USA and Canada.

 

Until liquid explosive detectors are installed at all airports, the ban seems likely to remain.

 

 

Edited February 27 by Georgealbert

[steven100]

New flight safety rules : 

 

all mobile phones will be handed to airline crew upon boarding and placed in a fireproof container, then given back at the planes exit after arrival. 

[Georgealbert]

1 hour ago, Dan O said:

Oxygen doesn't explode but will accelerate an existing fire. 

Yes totally agree.

 

Oxygen enrichment can become a hazard when the oxygen present is above 21%, and any fire can be substantially more intense, with higher temperatures and a greater heat output.

 

The oxygen in a A320 is chemical produced, from sodium chlorate, potassium perchlorate and barium peroxide. The oxygen generators do not start to flow until the mask is pulled down, so no free flow to all masks which fall down. Each generator supplies up to about 4 masks.

 

The mask only automatically fall if the cabin pressure altitude exceeds 14,000 ft, so in this incident the crew would have to manually release them, which they did not do, so considered the atmospheric risk was acceptable.

[Georgealbert]

11 minutes ago, steven100 said:

New flight safety rules : 

 

all mobile phones will be handed to airline crew upon boarding and placed in a fireproof container, then given back at the planes exit after arrival. 

Sorry, but how would you think that would work?

 

Only phones or all Li-ion device?

 

One fireproof container for each type of device? (phones, tablet, power banks, laptop, e-cigarettes, vape devices, bluetooth headphones, smart watches, some hearing aids, gaming devices, e readers, digital cameras).

 

How would someone prove ownership of each device? Name labels? Sticker with number and receipt?

 

Where would the devices be handed in? Check in? Security? Entering Gate? Boarding? Entering aircraft?

 

What about linked entertainment system and on board internet?

 

Where would everyone collect devices after landing? Imagine the time and hassle of departing passenger trying to get their devices.

 

Who would be responsible for lost, stolen or damaged devices?

You really think paying customers would really be happy to accept this? You complained earlier about the ‘silly’ liquid ban

 

Not trying to be negative, but realistic.