WestJet e-ciggie drama shows danger lurks even in small lithium batteries

Forgetfulness by an experienced WestJet flyer led to an aircraft fire and emergency landing after he left batteries for an e-cigarette in his checked baggage. The fire in the hold of a WestJet Boeing 737-700 has prompted Canadian safety authorities to renew warnings this month about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries — even small ones — and the need to be vigilant about not packing them in checked baggage. The WestJet aircraft was flying from the airline's home base of Calgary to Vancouver with 58 passengers and crew in June 2018, when the lower aft cargo fire warning light illuminated. READ: WestJet takes delivery of its first 787. The crew immediately followed cargo fire procedures and discharged a fire extinguisher before declaring a MAYDAY and returning to Calgary. After passengers had left the aircraft, fire-fighters and ground handlers found the passenger’s burnt bag and minor fire damage to the cargo compartment’s fire-resistant liner.

Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigators found the passenger flew frequently and was aware of WestJet’s policies on restricted items in checked baggage. He took his e-cigarette and two other lithium ion batteries into the passenger cabin as required by the policy. But when he packed his backpack prior to the flight, he inadvertently left spare lithium-ion batteries for his e-cigarette in the charger and placed them in the front pocket. The batteries were also not picked up by checked bag screening, which is designed for explosives rather than batteries and other dangerous goods. The TSB’s report said engineers had determined one battery in the charger had experienced a thermal runaway likely caused by external damage. It noted the proliferation of lithium-ion batteries in personal electronic devices had resulted in an increase in aviation cargo and passenger baggage events “involving smoke, fire, extreme heat, or explosion”. It said the US Federal Aviation Administration had recorded 206 airborne or airport incidents involving lithium-ion batteries carried as cargo or baggage between March 1991 and May 2018. “This report highlights the hazard that lithium-ion batteries, such as those found in electronic cigarettes, pose to the safety of aircraft when stored in checked baggage,’’ the TSB said. “Passengers are reminded that these items must be carried in the cabin, where an incident can be immediately mitigated, and not in checked baggage.”