Right here's What Occurs When A System's Battery Erupts In Flames On A Aircraft

Planes have plenty of fire-safety measures on board, and a few of these choices can be found ought to a battery-related blaze get away. The primary line of defence is the common-or-garden hearth extinguisher. There are a number of extinguishers on every airplane, and the crew is skilled to make use of them successfully. If the hearth is caught rapidly sufficient, they could be all that’s wanted. Planes are additionally designed to be pretty fireproof, so whereas a hearth might begin it’ll have a tough time catching and spreading all through the plane. In excessive circumstances on freighter plane, the pilot can depressurize the airplane — which ought to starve the hearth of air and gradual its progress. 

Lithium battery fires are significantly laborious to take care of, as they are often self-contained. The hearth’s gas and oxygen supply each exist within the cell itself, so you may’t put them out historically. As an alternative, one of the best methodology is to aim to chill the battery cells which have but to ignite and permit those who should burn themselves out. Particular burn luggage exist, which comprise the burning units, whereas additionally appearing to chill the batteries.

As an airline pilot explains within the above video, a lithium battery hearth will often consequence within the plane being diverted to the closest airport. It can then land as quickly because it presumably can so the battery in query will be faraway from the airplane. Pilots and flight attendants put together for potential fires as a part of their coaching classes. As procedures are repeatedly drilled, the crew on board ought to know precisely what to do within the occasion of an emergency and take motion earlier than the issue can spiral uncontrolled.