US regulator warns of inflammable lithium batteries in air cargo

LITHIUM batteries will auto-ignite if a separate fire aboard brings the cabin temperature up too high, warns the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) after such occurred to a UPS flight that crashed in the Dubai desert last month killing its two crewmen.

After the UPS crash last month, researchers found that lithium batteries ignite at lower than expected temperatures, said the FAA. Research also indicated that Halon 1301 fire extinguishers in Class C cargo compartments are ineffective against lithium metal battery fires.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority also discovered that the digital flight data recorder indicated the presence of smoke in the cockpit and lower aft cargo compartment, reported London's International Freighting Weekly.

Said the FAA: "In a fire situation, the air temperature in a cargo compartment may be above the auto-ignition temperature of lithium. Batteries may ignite and propagate, thus creating a risk of a catastrophic event."

To counter risks, the FAA recommended that customers should identify bulk shipments of lithium batteries on air waybills and other documents and the batteries should be stowed in Class C compartments, or where alternate fire extinguishers are present.

"The existence and magnitude of the risk will depend on such factors as the total number and type of batteries on board an aircraft, the batteries' proximity to one another, and existing risk mitigation measures in place," said the FAA.
(Source:www.schednet.com)