Mobile phone catches fire in flight

QANTAS A380-842 VH-OQA (CN 014)        File Photo

Ever wondered why the in-flight safety videos tell you not to move your seat if you drop your phone? Well this is why.
A Qantas business class passenger learned the hard way after dropping their phone during a flight on an Airbus 380 from Los Angeles to Melbourne on Wednesday morning.
After their phone became stuck in their seat, they attempted to retrieve it and moved their seat in the process, crushing the device. The passengers on board later reported a strong burning rubber smell. Cabin crew reportedly raced through the plane with fire extinguishers.
The flight was only two hours from landing at Tullamarine and almost had to divert to Sydney amid the chaos. It's understood cabin crew made an announcement about 10 minutes after the incident telling passengers someone had dropped their personal electronic device but everything was under control. A Qantas spokesperson said the phone then began "smoking", before the cabin crew "contained the situation".
The captain of Qantas flight 94 then spoke to the operations centre before completing the flight into Melbourne. A phone was destroyed in a similar incident in 2016, when the lithium battery of a passenger's phone was crushed in a seat mechanism and caught fire.

Lithium batteries 'capable of ignition'

The incident prompted the airline to issue a reminder to passengers not to attempt to pick up any electronic devices dropped during the flight.
"This incident shows why we ask passengers to seek help from our cabin crew in retrieving their mobile phone," the Qantas spokesperson said.
In its investigation into the 2016 incident, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) cited the United States Federal Aviation Administration's guidelines which warn of the risk posed by lithium batteries.
"Lithium batteries are capable of ignition and subsequent explosion due to overheating," the administration said.
"Overheating results in thermal runaway, which is a chemical reaction within the battery causing the internal temperature and pressure to rise.
"The result is the release of a flammable electrolyte from the battery and, in the case of disposable lithium batteries, the release of molten burning lithium."


Aircraft Details
Airline: Qantas
Code: QF/QFA
Flight Number: 94
Aircraft Type: A380-842
Registration: VH-OQA
Serial Number: 014