Damaged Lithium Shipment and Passenger Battery Items
During loading of a passenger flight, the ramp agent reports that a pallet containing UN 3480 lithium-ion batteries (PI 965 Section IA, 12 fibreboard boxes, 240 kg) has a crushed outer box; one cell is visibly deformed but there is no leakage or heat. The NOTOC lists the shipment. The agent asks whether the damaged box can be re-packed and loaded, since the rest of the pallet is intact and the flight is already delayed. Separately, at the gate, a passenger has a 160 Wh spare lithium-ion battery in carry-on baggage and a 'smart bag' with a non-removable 100 Wh battery that they want to check in. Another passenger has a portable oxygen concentrator with two 95 Wh batteries and wants to use it during the flight. The cabin is full and the cargo hold is a Class C compartment.
1. Can the damaged box be re-packed and loaded? What actions are required?
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No. Damaged or defective lithium cells and batteries are forbidden for transport by air. A visibly deformed cell may have an internal short and can enter thermal runaway; re-packing hides the defect and does not restore the integrity of the cell. 'No leakage' is not the test. Actions:
- Stop loading the pallet; do not sign the acceptance.
- Remove it from the aircraft and from the immediate loading area; quarantine it in a designated area away from other cargo, fuel and the aircraft, with a fire watch if the operator's procedure requires it.
- Notify the operator's dangerous goods office and the shipper; the shipment must be refused and the damage documented.
- Make the required dangerous goods occurrence report; damage found before loading is still an occurrence that must be recorded and investigated.
- Inform the commander and amend the NOTOC: the damaged box must not appear as loaded. The rest of the pallet may be loaded only if every package is inspected, found intact, and the documentation is re-checked, including the state of charge (30% or less) and Section IA packaging. If there is any doubt about the remaining boxes, do not load the shipment. A delay is cheaper than a hold fire.
2. For the passenger items, what is permitted, what conditions apply, and what do you do?
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160 Wh spare lithium-ion battery (carry-on): permitted only with the operator's approval, as a spare, in the cabin; a maximum of two spares in the 100-160 Wh range; terminals protected against short circuit; not in checked baggage. At exactly 160 Wh it is at the limit, so check the operator's policy and record the approval. If approval cannot be given, the battery is refused. Smart bag with a non-removable 100 Wh battery: the battery cannot go in the hold if it is non-removable. It must be carried in the cabin, switched off and protected; many operators require the battery to be removable, and if it is not, the bag may be refused. Do not accept it as checked baggage. POC with two 95 Wh batteries: the device may be used in flight if the operator has approved it; spares must be in the cabin and protected. Check the seating and oxygen requirements and brief the passenger and cabin crew. The 95 Wh batteries are below 100 Wh, so no 100-160 Wh approval is needed, but the operator's POC policy still applies. Common thread: the passenger must declare the items and the check-in agent must not improvise. If any item is doubtful, refer it to the operator's dangerous goods department before acceptance. The commander should be told about the POC and any large batteries in the cabin.
3. A thermal runaway occurs in the hold after departure. What are your first actions and what governs the diversion?
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First actions:
- Confirm the warning (smoke or fire detection) and identify the source if the compartment is accessible; a Class C hold has suppression, but the fire may not be reachable.
- Carry out the smoke/fire checklist; put on the PBE before fighting a fire. For lithium-ion, the aim is to cool and stop propagation: Halon if available, then water or another non-alcohol liquid. Do not use ice or dry ice as the primary agent.
- Consider descent and depressurisation only per the checklist; do not open the hold.
- Divert to the nearest suitable aerodrome and land as soon as possible. A lithium fire can reignite, so the landing is the priority.
- Declare MAYDAY (or PAN PAN if the situation is controlled) and pass the nature of the dangerous goods, the UN number (UN 3480) and the quantity to ATC so the fire service is prepared.
- Advise the cabin crew, prepare the cabin for an emergency landing or evacuation, and consider the effect of smoke on the passengers. What governs the diversion: time to landing, terrain and weather, runway suitability and emergency services, not the original destination or the schedule. The commander's judgement is based on the fire's behaviour, the remaining suppression and the nearest adequate aerodrome; a 'nearest' aerodrome that is unsuitable is not a diversion option.