A portable power bank is suspected to be the cause of a fire that destroyed a passenger plane in South Korea in January, according to local authorities.
The Air Busan plane caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in the country’s south on 28 January, resulting in minor injuries to three people on board.
South Korea’s transport ministry stated that interim investigation results suggest the fire may have started due to the breakdown of insulation inside a power bank battery.
The power bank was found in an overhead luggage compartment where the fire was first detected, and debris from the power bank had scorch marks.
The Air Busan plane caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in the country’s south on 28 January, resulting in minor injuries to three people on board.
South Korea’s transport ministry stated that interim investigation results suggest the fire may have started due to the breakdown of insulation inside a power bank battery.
The power bank was found in an overhead luggage compartment where the fire was first detected, and debris from the power bank had scorch marks.
Investigators could not determine the cause of the battery breakdown.
The update is based on interim findings and is not a final accident report on the Airbus A321ceo aircraft.
Airlines worldwide have prohibited power banks from checked luggage due to safety concerns related to lithium-ion batteries inside these devices.
These batteries can generate extreme heat and fires if damaged or faulty manufacturing leads to a short circuit.
Lithium-ion batteries of any kind have been banned from passenger planes’ cargo holds since 2016, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Following the Air Busan fire, the airline implemented stricter rules, no longer allowing passengers to carry power banks in their onboard luggage.
This decision was made in response to an increase in overheating incidents involving power banks.
Many airlines, including China Airlines and Thai Airways, are implementing similar rules, with Singapore Airlines and its low-cost unit Scoot set to ban the use and charging of power banks onboard starting 1 April.
On 28 February, the South Korean government announced that passengers boarding flights in the country would be required to carry portable batteries and chargers on their person, rather than storing them in overhead compartments.
The update is based on interim findings and is not a final accident report on the Airbus A321ceo aircraft.
Airlines worldwide have prohibited power banks from checked luggage due to safety concerns related to lithium-ion batteries inside these devices.
These batteries can generate extreme heat and fires if damaged or faulty manufacturing leads to a short circuit.
Lithium-ion batteries of any kind have been banned from passenger planes’ cargo holds since 2016, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Following the Air Busan fire, the airline implemented stricter rules, no longer allowing passengers to carry power banks in their onboard luggage.
This decision was made in response to an increase in overheating incidents involving power banks.
Many airlines, including China Airlines and Thai Airways, are implementing similar rules, with Singapore Airlines and its low-cost unit Scoot set to ban the use and charging of power banks onboard starting 1 April.
On 28 February, the South Korean government announced that passengers boarding flights in the country would be required to carry portable batteries and chargers on their person, rather than storing them in overhead compartments.
