Imagine the horror of this happening in-flight
Feds warn travelers about batteries after two in-flight fires – ComputerWorld.com: Well, this isn’t good news for road-warriors, as well as a little disturbing since I have not heard anything like this before.
U.S. transportation officials warned travelers yesterday to take precautions when flying with battery-powered gear such as laptops and cell phones after two in-flight fires involving batteries were reported in the last six weeks.
Issued by the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the advisory recommends that travelers cover loose batteries with insulating tape to prevent contact with metal objects; place each battery in its own case or plastic bag; and pack spare batteries in carry-on bags rather than checked baggage.
On one of its Web sites, the federal agency also asked passengers to pack battery-powered devices in carry-on bags — not those checked to the cargo hold, because fires are easier to fight in the cabin.
Last Sunday, a battery overheated or ignited on board an American Airlines aircraft flying from Argentina. Attendants also extinguished that fire, said the PHMSA.
How long until an outright ban is instituted on lith-ion batteries on planes.
Frankly it suprises me how long this has taken. Ten years ago as a commercial UPS service tech (Uninterruptible Power Supplies) in the Carribean. We serviced UPS’ for the surrounding islands (BVI, PR, VI, etc). I would take batteries along with me for routine battery changes. Sometime around 1995, we were forbidden to bring batteries on board, because they were classified as hazardous material. This, I believe was just after the Value Jet crash in Florida. After that we went by sea, or had them drop shipped. This is going to be a big problem, as it was for us.
Frankly, I would very much like to see laptops and other portable electronics get banned form flights. I want to see more and more basic, everyday things get banned from flights, and more and more so-called passengers get treated like cattle, until the American sheeple finally get angry enough to stop giving their hard-earned money to U.S. airlines, which are among the most evil and ineptly-managed corporate entities in the world. It’s going to take a major consumer uprising to change the way airlines and airports treat their supposed customers.
Flight 800 anyone?