Headphones explode mid-flight – victim suffers facial burns

A woman wearing noise-cancelling headphones on a flight from Beijing to Melbourne was injured when her headphones exploded whilst she was sleeping.

They suddenly exploded – sparking and igniting – while she slept.

Feeling her face burning, she ripped the headphones from around her neck and threw them onto the floor of the cabin, stamping on them. The headphones were still emitting sparks so flight attendants swiftly threw buckets of water on them to avoid any serious incidents.

For the remainder of the flight, passengers in the cabin had to be content with the smell of burnt plastic, electronics, and hair. The mangled headphones sat in a bucket of water in the rear of the plane, and the victim was left with burns on her face and blisters on her hands where it had come into contact with the flames.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the incident but has so far not released the brand of the headphones, nor information about the batteries that are suspected to have caused the explosion.

Not the first incident of this nature…

Battery-induced fires have been plaguing the headlines in recent months. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 remains at the heart of a monumental scandal where multiple users have reported sudden ignition of the device, causing injury and exposing people to serious life threatening risks. The phones have since been banned on flights due to its risk of setting on fire.

Samsung attempted to recall the phones to replace the batteries, but due to design and manufacturing, the new batteries were reportedly also susceptible to igniting. Samsung has now stopped selling the phones, focusing on a new phone with reportedly new safety measures in mind.

Hover-boards have also made an appearance on the list of banned products on flights. Airlines must not risk any fire related incidents on board as the confined space flying thousands of feet above ground has potential for all sorts of dangers.

Electrical device investigations on the rise?

The ATSB also investigated other recent battery related incidents.

A few months ago, an e-cig battery ignited inside a passenger’s luggage whilst it was being put on the plane’s hold. Thankfully, this didn’t happen mid-flight as attendants may not have been able to reach the fire until it was too late. In another flight, a mobile phone was crushed when it slipped in between the seat mechanisms. Like the Samsung fires, it is likely that the crushing would have short circuited the phone’s battery and caused the ignition.

New guidelines

Due to these recent incidents, the ATSB issued the following guidelines:

• Batteries should be kept in an approved stowage, unless in use;
• Spare batteries must be in your carry-on baggage not checked baggage;
• If a passenger’s smart phone or other device has fallen into the seat gap, locate their device before moving powered seats;
• If a passenger cannot locate their device, they should refrain from moving their seat and immediately contact a cabin crew member.

Data Analysis Manager Stuart Godley commented that lithium-ion batteries are not likely to be banned on flights as long as passengers use and look after them safely. He said:

“There is a bit more of a fire risk for lithium batteries than for other batteries. If you’re carrying spare batteries always have them in your carry-on baggage.”

Even though an in-flight fire in the cabin is dangerous, it can be a lot more manageable than an in-cargo one.