What happened
On May 22, 2018, approximately ten minutes after takeoff, cabin crew members stationed in the rear galley of a Boeing 73 and-800 were alerted to an emergency by loud cries for help and alarming shouts. Upon investigation, the crew discovered smoke and a pungent odor emanating from the rear section of the aircraft.
Crew members immediately deployed a halon fire extinguisher to locate the source of the smoke. The investigation revealed that the smoke was originating from a passenger's bag. The bag was handed to the crew, who used the halon extinguisher to suppress the fire. Additional crew members arrived shortly after with further extinguishers and smoke hoods. Once the fire was extinguished, the contents of the bag were inspected, revealing that a power bank was the source of the smoke. To prevent reignition, the device was placed in a catering bin and submerged in water.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the spontaneous combustion of the electronic device. The inquiry established that the smoke and odor were localized to a specific piece of passenger luggage and that the crew followed emergency procedures to identify and suppress the fire using onboard equipment.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the spontaneous ignition of a power bank of unknown capacity located within passenger hand luggage.
- The crew successfully identified the source of the smoke and utilized appropriate fire suppression techniques to mitigate the risk of fire spreading.