V Air A321 near Taipei on May 6th 2016, passenger lithium power bank overheats and emits smoke
Last Update: April 28, 2017 / 15:01:39 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
May 6, 2016
Classification
Incident
Airline
V Air
Flight number
ZV-252
Departure
Taipei, Taiwan
Destination
Tokyo Haneda, Japan
Aircraft Registration
B-22610
Aircraft Type
Airbus A321
ICAO Type Designator
A321
Taiwan's ASC reported the smoke was caused by a non-genuine power bank carried by a passenger in the carry on luggage, that burned out. The ASC opened an investigation into the occurrence and dispatched investigators on site.
Taiwan's Civil Aviation Authority reported the power bank was a lithium type power bank made in China. Cabin crew quickly cooled the battery down and put it into a bucket of cold water to prevent a further overheat.
A replacement A321-200 registration B-22608 reached Tokyo with a delay of 4 hours.
On Apr 28th 2017 Taiwan's ASC released their final report concluding the probable causes of the incident were:
Findings related to probable causes:
The occurrence power bank could have had internal malfunction or defects before it was connected to a passenger's mobile phone for charging, causing combustion and resulted in the power bank to smoke and fire. Due to the circuit-protecting board and two battery cells were burned out, the exact causes for this malfunction could not be identified consequently.
Findings related to risks:
- If a lithium-ion battery is located in an overheated environment, impacted from outside, overcharged, or if this battery has imperfection in its design or production, this battery's temperature will rise from chemical reactions of the battery discharging. Suppose the rising temperature from battery discharge further rise the temperature of this battery, a lithium-ion battery thermal runaway may be induced by the high temperature.
- If this power bank carried by passenger has not been properly certified or it had been impacted upon somewhere, then charging or discharging battery by passengers during flight is prone to induce the battery cell thermal runaway as a result of exothermic chemical reaction during battery cell discharging.
- In the twelve months prior to this occurrence, the Taoyuan Aviation Police Bureau, National Police Agency of Ministry of Interior, found out some 150,000 items of power bank or spare lithium battery with lithium-ion from checking baggage in Taoyuan Airport. This indicates that passengers neglected to pay attention to the regulation or they are not aware of such regulations requiring hand carry lithium-ion battery. There is room for improvement in terms of educating or informing passengers through publicity, or through check-in counters reminding the passengers.
Other Findings
- During this occurrence, the cabin crew complied with the abnormal procedures of the V Air Cabin Crew Operation Manual in passenger evacuation, reporting, fire-extinguishing, and in the handling of the occurrence power bank. (1.15, 2.1)
- The anode connecting metal plate of two unburned battery disrupted, causing suspected arcing cut, this should have been caused by other burning batteries. (1.16.1, 2.2)
- Both the laws of the Republic of China and of the International Civil Aviation Organization require that spare lithium-ion battery should be properly protected to avoid short circuit. The Civil Aeronautics Administration indicated that all the power banks for sale in the market have already wrapped up the anode and cathode as well as the printed circuit board inside the battery; there is no possibility of the cathode and the anode contacting one another. Such products have already complied with the regulations of this country. Therefore, no tape should be attached to insulate the anode and the cathode. (1.18.3, 2.3.1)
- In practice, the aviation Police Bureau would find it difficult to impose a requirement upon all the passengers that all power banks must have been certified as safe by the National Standard Bureau before they can be taken on board. (1.18.3, 1.18.4.2, 2.2, 2.3.2)
- Except Mainland China, most countries throughout the world do not prohibit passengers on board an aircraft cabin from using power banks for charging or discharging. Current practice of Civil Aeronautics Administration complies with related international regulations and practice governing the transportation of lithium batteries. (1.18.3, 2.3.1)
The ASC reported the aircraft was 24 minutes into its flight, enroute at FL350 already, when cabin crew contacted the flight crew via intercom reporting "smoke is coming out of the power bank of a passenger". The captain instructed cabin crew to handle the situation and decided to return to Taipei. Six minutes after the cabin crew informed about the smoke cabin crew reported the fire was out, the power bank was put inside a trash can full of water to lower the temperature and the trash can was locked inside a toilet. The aircraft touched down back at Taipei 31 minutes after the call by cabin crew informing about the smoke. There were no injuries, the aircraft did not sustain any damage.
Incident Facts
Date of incident
May 6, 2016
Classification
Incident
Airline
V Air
Flight number
ZV-252
Departure
Taipei, Taiwan
Destination
Tokyo Haneda, Japan
Aircraft Registration
B-22610
Aircraft Type
Airbus A321
ICAO Type Designator
A321
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
Article source
You can read 2 more free articles without a subscription.
Subscribe now and continue reading without any limits!
Read unlimited articles and receive our daily update briefing. Gain better insights into what is happening in commercial aviation safety.
Send tip
Support AeroInside by sending a small tip amount.
Newest articles
ABX B762 at Milwaukee on Apr 17th 2024, bird strike
An ABX Air Boeing 767-200 freighter, registration N650GT performing flight GB-2042 from Cincinnati,KY to Milwaukee,WI (USA) with 2 crew, landed on…
Cem DH8D at Johannesburg on Apr 18th 2024, engine failure
A Cemair de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration ZS-DHA performing flight 5Z-518 from Johannesburg to Kimberly (South Africa), was climbing out of…
Subscribe today
Are you researching aviation incidents? Get access to AeroInside Insights, unlimited read access and receive the daily newsletter.
Pick your plan and subscribePartner
A new way to document and demonstrate airworthiness compliance and aircraft value. Find out more.
ELITE Simulation Solutions is a leading global provider of Flight Simulation Training Devices, IFR training software as well as flight controls and related services. Find out more.
Your regulation partner, specialists in aviation safety and compliance; providing training, auditing, and consultancy services. Find out more.
AeroInside Blog
Popular aircraft
Airbus A320Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737-800 MAX
Popular airlines
American AirlinesUnited
Delta
Air Canada
Lufthansa
British Airways