KINGDOM of CAMBODIA

State Secretariat of Civil Aviation

Advisory Circular
LITHIUM-ION BATTERY FIRES

Number : AC.OPS 18 /07

Effective Date: 13.10.2007

1 GENERAL. Advisory Circulars (ACs) are issued by the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation of Cambodia
(SSCA) and contain information about standards, practices and procedures acceptable to the Authority. The
revision number of the AC is indicated in parenthesis in the suffix of the AC number.

2 PURPOSE. This AC is issued to provide information on the appropriate means and procedures
to deal with an in-flight fire involving carry -on equipment or PEDs containing lithium-ion batteries .

3 APPLICABILITY. This AC applies to all Cambodia AOC holders .

4 CANCELLATION. This is the first Advisory Circular issued on this subject.

5 EFFECTIVE DATE. This Advisory Circular is effective on 13 October 2007.

6 REFERENCES. AOCR Chapter 6, CAA Paper 2003/4 – Dealing with i n-flight Lithium-i on Battery
Fires In Portable Electronics Devices. ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel Meeting Oct/Nov 2006.

7 INTRODUCTION. Chapter 6 of the AOCR contains requirements to training of cabin crew on

procedures related to fire and smoke in the cabin. This Advisory Circular provides additional information
on the appropriate means and procedures to deal with an in-flight fire involving carry-on equipment or
PEDs containing lithium -ion batteries .

8 BACKGROUND

8.1 Lithium-ion batteries are installed in a wide range of portable electronic devices
(PEDs) including laptop computers and some children’s’ toys and games.

8.2 The content of this circular is based on the information from research regarding the most
appropriate means and procedures to deal with an in-flight fire involving carry-on equipment
or PEDs containing lithium-ion batteries.
8.3 The aim of this circular is to provide operators guidance material to ensure that the flight and
cabin crew training programs and operating procedures contain the most effective met hods
available when faced with an in-flight fire involving a PED.

9 GENERAL FINDINGS OF LITHIUM ION BATTERY FIRES

9.1 When devices like laptop computers are plugged into an electrical supply, battery charging
normally occurs automatically. The deliberate charging of portable electronic devices
from aircraft supplies should be avoided. This is because fires can occur in the battery packs
of portable electronic devices, though the probability of such a fire in-flight is considered to

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 be extremely low, because of the built in safety devices.

9.2 For a lithium-ion battery fire to occur in a portable electronic device, there needs to be a
failure of the built in protection devices. Most PEDs have three levels of protection. Multiple
failures in the protection system are unlikely, but not completely unknown during ground
based operation. They must therefore be considered as a potential risk, and treated as a hazard
to an aircraft during the ground or flight phases of operation.

9.3 A battery may catch fire while not in use and stowed in a bag, if exposed contacts are
connected by a conductive material (e.g. a coin or set of keys). A fire that appears to be
extinguished may re-ignite some time later.

9.4 If a battery fire does occur, it will almost certainly cause severe harm to any passengers in the
immediate vicinity. There is a risk that the fire will spread to adjacent flammable material
e.g. clothing, newspapers, rugs, carpet. There is also a risk of harm from smoke inhalation to
passengers and crew members, particularly if the electronic device is inside a carrying bag.
Additionally, panic can be expected amongst the passengers who see the fire, or subsequently
smell burning plastic.

9.5 Halon may have no effect on some battery fires, although the Halon will suppress a fire of
surrounding flammable material, or prevent its ignition (Halon has been shown to be
ineffective against lithium metal battery fires in testing conducted by the FAAs Technical
Center).

9.6 Passengers should be discouraged from plugging in devices solely for the purpose of
charging, to minimise the risk from a battery or charger fault.

10 RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES FOR IN-FLIGHT FIRE ARISING FROM LITHI UM ION

BATTERIES

10.1 The recommended procedures for in-flight fire arising from lithium-ion batteries are as
follows:

a) If a battery fire is suspected, the power to ALL recharge points should be turned off as quickly as
possible (arguably before deploying any fire extinguishers).

b) For battery fires involving packs with more than one lithium -ion cell, the individual cell fires occur over
a period of several seconds rather than simultaneously. There is thus a possibility of further cell
expl osions (similar to a firework) for at least a minute into the fire, which represents a danger to those
in close proximity to the fire. Such fires should be approached with this possibility in mind, and
appropriate protective equipment should be worn. Multiple cell packs are used in laptop computers
and video cameras, but not normally in mobile phones.

c) Halon and FE-36 halon replacement extinguishers were more effective than water for some of the
fires, and should be used first, if a choice is available.

d) Fire blankets can be effective in dealing with fires in portable devices. However, it is essential that
the blanket completely encloses the device, preventing further contact with air. This may be
impractical in a real situation. Additionally, the person deploying the blanket will need to wear a
smoke hood or similar device to prevent smoke inhalation.

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e) In the unlikely event of a fire, a thorough investigation should take place to determine the cause. The
following questions should be answered wherever possible:

(i) What was the manufacturer and model number of the device?
(ii) Was the battery pack supplied by the device manufacturer or a third party?
(iii) Was the battery being charged when the fire started?
(iv) Was the charging cable supplied by the airline or the passenger?

II GENERAL FIRE FIGHTING PROCEDURES

II. I Air Operators should re-emphasize their company procedures to all crewmembers pertaining to fighting an
in-flight fire in the cabin using a team approach to combat a fire .

11 .2 The crewmember who finds the fire is usually the person who is the firefighter. Immediately fight the
fire using the closest extinguishing device. For electrical fire, avoid water extinguishers and remove any
external power from the device. The firefighter aggressively attempts to locate the source of the fire, fights
the fire and actively tries to extinguish the fire . Once the fire appears to have been extinguished,
consider moving the device to an area without flammable material, such as a galley oven (if not adjacent
to the cockpit). The device should not be moved if it is still on fire, or if it is too hot to be moved safely.
Remove power to remaining passenger outlets until the aircraft's system can be determined to be free
from faults, if the device was previously plugged in.

11 .3 A second crewmember may serve as a communicator. Maintain communication between the cabin crew
and cockpit in order to relate the effectiveness of the fire fighting effort. The communicator relays factual
information to the flight deck including the location , source and severity (e.g., is the fire under control,
spreading, contained, extinguished) of the fire , the number of fire extinguishers used, smoke conditions,
and what is being done to extinguish the fire . The communicator also makes announcements to inform and
calm the passengers. Another crewmember, a runner, can ass ist by :

a) Obtaining additional firefighting supplies

b) Relocating passengers
c) Distributing towels for passengers' use to cover their noses or mouths to filter out smoke
d) Ensuring aircraft and or therapeutic oxygen bottles are moved out of the immediate area
e) Generally assisting with firefighting support activities as may be required

12 ACTION BY AlR OPERATORS

12. 1 Air Operators should incorporate the information provided in this circular in their flight and cabin crew
training programmes .

should also refrain from transporting defective lithium-ion batteries as general cargo for air

SSCA
MAO HAVANNALL

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