A Virgin Australia flight was plunged into chaos this week after a passenger’s bag caught fire inside an overhead bin just as the plane was descending into the city of Hobart, Australia, the airline said on Wednesday.
The fire, which started around 9 a.m. on Monday on flight VA1528 from Sydney, is believed to have been ignited by a portable battery inside the bag, although the cause remains under investigation, the airline said. Members of the cabin crew extinguished the flames before the plane landed, the airline said. No passengers or crew members were injured.
Power banks are typically powered by lithium-ion batteries, which have also been used for decades to power smartphones and laptops, and are commonly used in portable power banks. But batteries that are damaged, overcharged, overheated or otherwise defective can catch fire. In recent years, the number of these episodes onboard planes has increased, prompting some of the world’s biggest airlines to change their regulations regarding the devices.
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration recorded 39 episodes involving lithium batteries on passenger flights, many of them involving power banks. Australian officials have noted a rise in fires and other problems caused by the batteries in recent years. According to the country’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority, most passengers travel with at least four lithium-powered devices but are largely unaware of the risks. In response to the episodes, a number of airlines, including Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines banned the use of power banks during flights. Hong Kong’s aviation regulator imposed similar restrictions on all of the territory’s airlines, which include Cathay Pacific.
In May, Southwest Airlines became the first of the four biggest U.S. carriers to tighten its rules. Its passengers are no longer allowed to charge devices using portable batteries while they are stowed in overhead bins.
Virgin Australia said that it was reviewing its policy, which allows passengers to take power banks onboard, in light of the fire on Monday. It also said it had asked customers to keep the devices in sight and refrain from using them while flying.
In footage shared by local news media, a member of the cabin crew is holding a fire extinguisher and appears to be dousing a fire that is causing smoke to billow from an overheard storage bin. One passenger can be heard shouting while others offer up their water bottles.
David Wroth, the senior director of technology and operations at UL Standards & Engagement, a global safety organization that tracks lithium-ion battery episodes, said passengers should always keep rechargeable devices within reach during flights so they can act or inform the flight crew if they suspect something is wrong.
“A fire in the confines of an aircraft cabin can have serious consequences,” he said.
Mark Walker is an investigative reporter for The Times focused on transportation. He is based in Washington.
Livia Albeck-Ripka is a Times reporter based in Los Angeles, covering breaking news, California and other subjects.
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