Fire at 30’000ft?
Nobody likes a goody-two-shoes when it comes to regulations. On the other hand maybe the regulations are there for a good reason. At what point do you get serious and start taking notice?
If you forget to turn your mobile off will your plane veer off course and plummet taking you with it? I don’t think so – like millions of others I had a Nokia with a switch on the side…
But taking batteries in aeroplanes is different; the rules are there for a real solid reason.
That reason is fire. In April 2008 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported – with convincing photographs – over ninety aviation related fires or dangerous heat incidents related to batteries.
But it can be surprisingly hard to unravel the rules – or more likely convince the airline check-in staff that what you propose to take on board is allowed.
Russell Hay, the training manager for New Zealand’s Dangerous Goods Management Ltd, perhaps without realising the pun, describes the carriage of batteries as the current hot topic in the air transport industry.
According to Hay not all batteries are classed as dangerous goods but all batteries still require proper packing.
Make sure it can't turn on - like this drill during loading for passenger flight ex Chicago
He says NiCad, NiMH, (usually older type of video batteries) and sealed lead acid batteries (usually block batteries used with film equipment) can be carried by passengers or sent as cargo as long as they are individually wrapped and their terminals are protected against short-circuit.
Flying with lithium batteries is another story.
It works like this:
All lithium batteries must be in carry-on luggage unless they are installed in the equipment they were designed for. If you take equipment with batteries as checked baggage you must make sure the equipment can’t accidentally turn on – you don’t want your battery powered light causing a fire in the aircraft hold at 30’000ft.
No spare lithium batteries – that is batteries not installed in the equipment – are permitted in checked baggage – not even your spare pacemaker battery.
Whatever spare batteries you carry must be individually packed to prevent short circuits. This can be done by insulating the terminals with tape or placing each battery in a separate plastic bag or protective pouch.
Lithium or not - you have to make sure batteries can't short out
You do not need to declare spare lithium batteries under 100Wh as dangerous goods at airline check-in. This probably covers your lap top, mobile, radios and small video camera batteries.
Larger lithium batteries over 100Wh and less than 160Wh – most likely your professional video camera batteries – must be declared at airline check-in as a dangerous good. Apart from the ones installed in checked through equipment you will have to hand carry them on the plane – you may carry two per person in addition to whatever smaller batteries you are carrying.
Lithium batteries over 160Wh are prohibited but are not usually found in any case – there would be little point in manufacturers making them since you can’t fly them.
Since many larger video cameras have a complement of several batteries over 100Wh you may need to distribute the spare batteries around your crew to get them on the plane and depending on the airline you may need to be careful about exceeding carry-on luggage allowances which are typically one piece of 7kg.
The regulations should be reasonably consistent across most airlines because they follow the international rules.
“ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organisation] make these rules and all airlines, through IATA [International Air Transport Association], follow them both domestically and internationally,” explains Hay, although he is aware of the reality crews face at airline check-in gaining on the spot approval to fly with their batteries.
“When requiring airline approval you should contact the particular airline in advance as they vary in the way that it is granted.”
“In all cases approval will be confirmed at check-in, but some airlines may have a ban on these batteries, as will some countries.”
But flying with the equipment is not the only batteries find their way on to aircraft. Often film or video equipment is freighted.
If you are freighting lithium batteries you should seek advice from one of the companies specializing in dangerous goods freight because while some lithium batteries are permitted in cargo plane holds – due to different fire hazardous and extinguishing methods – there are limits on the numbers of batteries per shipment.
“Lithium Ion batteries are a dangerous good and, although there are documentation and packaging exemptions for small amounts, they require specification packaging and certification,” says Hay.
Irritating as it might be, all this is worth doing right, after all, this is not about paper work, or sneaking something past the airline counter staff, this is about planes burning and crashing – or not.
Laptop and spare Lithium-ion battery burn in passenger cabin overhead bin
Photos sourced from FAA public meeting Apil 11 2008.
Useful Websites:
Air NZ guide to dangerous goods
Lithium batteries offer higher capacity and very light weight compared to conventional batteries:`,
Lead Acid batteries should be replaced with a new type of battery that weigh less :;~
lithium batteries are still the lightest battery that we have but it is quite expensive,”*