Phones crushed in seats.

[Band a Lot]

Heard Mr CASA on the radio today about the dangers of phones (and tablets) getting crushed in seats.

He clearly said that 9 reports of such happening in Australia created an emergency in last 12 months.

I call rubbish on that and expect the truth to be "batteries" and World wide emergencies.

I only found 1 event in Australia last year on a A380 with a crushed phone, what are the other secrets?

[Ixixly]

Band a Lot, they've realised now that this can be a serious issue and I would think this is excellent proactive thinking! Why the bashing of CASA for trying to be proactive on something that could cause a serious issue?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8FKg5cMxEI
Have a look at that video to see what happens when you crush one, same thing can happen if pierced.

A Lithium Ion Battery if caught in the wrong spot on a seat where the point can bring a significant amount of pressure would cause this kind of explosion, NiMh batteries don't have this reaction though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44QCuo6tYfk

So it IS a LITHIUM ION BATTERY issue, not a "Battery" issue and whilst there has only been one issue of on exploding the CASA Rep could be referring to other reported incidents where there was potential for it to be crushed, could be as part of some new design to a seat or something? I don't really know.

But once again, they seem to be trying to be proactive on an issue that really could cause an Emergency, so what is with the bashing?

[Band a Lot]

Thanks Eject, will count that as 2 so far for the year.

Why? simply I trust CASA as much as most in Australian Aviation - Don't let facts get in the way of a "We are looking after you story" that the airline implemented first.


I do not believe Australia had 9 crush phone issues that called for emergency in last year or PPRune would have exploded.

[IsDon]

Happened on a Qantas A380 yesterday in DXB.

Ground staff were talking about it.

Pretty certain it didn't spontaneously combust so it probably wouldn't have been reported.

[L-Plater]

Something so innocent and accidental but the potential to be deadly. Better to raise awareness and solutions now, rather than after a catastrophe.

[Band a Lot]

Why the issue is not just phones and tablets and weare talking to general public.


The safety issue is the LITHIUM ION BATTERY found in many devices.


How many drones are flying around as checked baggage this Christmas or power tools? Then there is this Power Bank 10,000mA I have, need it to watch the movie on my phone and put it on my seat out of the way. It's safe its not a phone or tablet, nor is a ipad mini.

I just think they are being narrow minded and that actually many of the "accidents" have been LITHIUM ION BATTERYS in devices other than phone/tablets.

[Band a Lot]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dBkCOKmTd4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExCtHYqK834


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5AYA3D9AGU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X75Lwhrgqcg

[Tankengine]

Band a lot,
You may not get all the Airline info but Qantas has had a number of phone down seat incidents this year.
The reason they are not targeting power tools, drones or the like is that people don't play with them on board, drop them down seat, and then move seat - crushing the device in the process.

[QF5]

I know of 4 where I have had friends on the aircraft when it happened. It is a serious issue. They don't all catch fire, the crushed phones are definitely happening more than you realise.

[wishiwasupthere]

CASA do something bad, whinge.

CASA do something good, whinge.

[ChrisJ800]

Its not that the lithium batteries are spontaneously combusting, its that especially in business class the phone slips out of a hip pocket and into the seat mechanism, that then crushes it when the seat is reclined. Its happened a fair bit and a crushed phone crushes the lithium battery causing it to sizzle and smoke.

[PDR1]

NiMh batteries don't have this reaction though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44QCuo6tYfk
[quote]

Those are ALKALINE not NiMH batteries.

[quote]
So it IS a LITHIUM ION BATTERY issue, not a "Battery" issue and whilst there has only been one issue of on exploding the CASA Rep could be referring to other reported incidents where there was potential for it to be crushed, could be as part of some new design to a seat or something? I don't really know.

But once again, they seem to be trying to be proactive on an issue that really could cause an Emergency, so what is with the bashing?

If you crush charged NiMH batteries you will also get a lot of smoke, fire etc because it's mainly a stored-energy issue. It is slightly worse with lithium cells because they have a flammable electrolyte, but only slightly.

We need to keep our risk assessments realistic rather than hysterical...

PDR

[Band a Lot]

Band a lot,
You may not get all the Airline info but Qantas has had a number of phone down seat incidents this year.
The reason they are not targeting power tools, drones or the like is that people don't play with them on board, drop them down seat, and then move seat - crushing the device in the process.
Smoke in cabin emergency and reported as per requirements?

[Band a Lot]

CASA do something bad, whinge.

CASA do something good, whinge.
Not saying bad but it is not the "root" cause.

The "Root Cause" as in the replies I must give to CASA to NCN's and the like. That is not a unit but the battery needs to be addressed.