Hart pointed out that close fires like this increase the damage that it creates and, in turn, decreases the flight crew’s ability to respond to it. If up on flame, these lithium-ion batteries can go as hot as 1100 degrees which are basically the melting point of aluminum, a material typically used in aircraft frame.
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While most passenger airlines a year ago banned bulk shipments of lithium rechargeable batteries, some USA and foreign airlines continue to carry them and there is no legal restriction.
The Federal Aviation Administration urged airlines on Tuesday to reconsider the risks of transporting lithium ion batteries in cargo.
“The FAA strongly supports these recommendations”, the alert continued.
An FAA Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO), dated January 19 but made public on February 10, called on airlines to be “aware that ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organization] and major airframe manufacturers [Boeing and Airbus] have recommended that operators perform safety risk assessments in order to establish whether, or how, they can manage the risk associated with the transport of these batteries”.
Existing regulations prohibit the transport of lithium-metal batteries in passenger flight cargo holds.
Cargo companies such as United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. have not followed the passenger carriers in banning the shipments. “However, the 2012 FAA reauthorization contained language, Section 828, which precludes the agency from being able to regulate this issue”, the Air Line Pilots Association said in a statement.
The batteries in question are the rechargeable, lithium-ion ones that are found in everything from phones to laptops. “It is imperative that Congress repeal Section 828 and give our country the ability to once again lead the world in advancing aviation safety”.
“The National Transportation Safety Board urges the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to take action on these safety recommendations to reduce the likelihood and severity of potential cargo fires and to provide additional time for the crew to safely land a cargo aircraft in the event a fire is detected”, NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart said.
“What is needed now is tough enforcement of these rules”.
Spare batteries for those items must be packed in carry-on luggage and all items must be protected from accidental activation.
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“Lithium batteries pose a significant safety threat to air transportation”, Rogers said. In 2013 the global fleet of Boeing 787s was grounded for a few months after a lithium ion battery caught fire on one plane and erupted in smoke on another.
