What happened
On August 21, 2018, an Airbus A320 operating a flight from Lisbon, Portugal, to Frankfurt Main Airport was on final approach to runway 07L when a serious disturbance occurred in the cabin. At an altitude of approximately 2,200 ft AMSL, a passenger noticed smoke and intense heat emanating from a mobile charger located inside her carry-on luggage. The heat was so significant that the passenger was unable to remove the device from the bag.
Upon discovering the smoke, cabin crew initiated emergency fire suppression procedures using a Halon extinguisher. The device was subsequently cooled with water and placed in a waste bin within a rear lavatory to prevent further incident. Following the landing, the flight crew notified the tower, and emergency services were dispatched to the aircraft. Upon inspection by the airport fire service, no active flames or smoke were found. The passenger sustained one minor injury to her hand and received medical treatment on-scale.
The investigation
The BFU examined the mobile charger, which was a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2,200 mAh (8.1 Wh) and a voltage of 3.7 V. The investigation focused on the physical state of the device and the sequence of events leading to the smoke development.
Findings
- The primary cause of the heat and smoke was a thermal runaway within the lithium battery of the mobile charger.
- No open flames were present during the incident.
- The aircraft sustained no damage during the event.