Spring A320 near Shenyang on Feb 18th 2017, smartphone charger in overhead locker catches fire

Last Update: February 21, 2017 / 11:40:24 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Feb 18, 2017

Classification
Incident

Airline
Spring Airlines

Flight number
9C-8617

Departure
Harbin, China

Destination
Nagoya, Japan

Aircraft Registration
B-9965

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320

ICAO Type Designator
A320

A Spring Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration B-9965 performing flight 9C-8617 from Harbin (China) to Nagoya (Japan), was enroute at 10,400 meters (FL341) about 50nm eastnortheast of Shenyang (China) when passengers observed a fire in one of the overhead lockers. While cabin crew discharged fire extinguishers into the overhead locker and submerged charger (power bank) and smartphone of a passenger, which had caught fire in the overhead locker, in a water container, the flight crew initiated a diversion into Shenyang, where the aircraft landed safely about 23 minutes later. Emergency services did not need to intervene anymore, the cabin crew had brought the situation fully under control and cooled down the charger/batteries.

The aircraft remained on the ground for about 6.5 hours, then continued the journey and reached Nagoya with a total delay of 6.5 hours.

The airline reported a passenger had put his smartphone, connected to a battery driven charger (power bank), into the overhead locker. About 35 minutes after departure passengers observed smoke and fire from the overhead locker. Cabin crew discharged fire extinguishers and subsequently submerged charger containing a Lithium battery and smartphone (also containing a Lithium battery) in a water container effectively extinguishing the fire and stopping the thermal runaway.

On Feb 21st 2017 The Aviation Herald received additional information stating a cabin fire was identified and reported to the cockpit by cabin crew, who immediately began to discharge fire extinguishers onto the fire in an overhead locker, the flight crew declared emergency and initiated the diversion to Shenyang. A strong electrical odour developed on board of the aircraft, the flight crew donned their oxygen masks. About 9 minutes after the fire broke out (the aircraft was descending through 6000 meters/FL196), cabin crew reported the fire was out, a power bank and a smartphone causing the fire had been secured in a water container. The aircraft continued the diversion for a safe landing on Shenyang's runway 06.
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Feb 18, 2017

Classification
Incident

Airline
Spring Airlines

Flight number
9C-8617

Departure
Harbin, China

Destination
Nagoya, Japan

Aircraft Registration
B-9965

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320

ICAO Type Designator
A320

This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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