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What happens if someone decides to check it in their luggage and it catches fire there. Are there measures to deal with fires in the cargo hold?

nostrademons 10y ago
There are - after a bunch of really bad aircraft fires in the 90s caused by hazardous materials in the cargo holds, the FAA has mandated fire suppression systems in all commercial air cargo holds. Still, though, airlines would rather avoid the problem entirely. Airline safety usually relies on defense-in-depth - you fix the root cause, and then you fix anything else that would've stopped the problem, because things go wrong in a cramped cylinder at 30,000 feet. For example, a fast-moving fire could easily burn through the hydraulics or electronics that would trigger the fire suppression system before it has a chance to go off.
- hga 10y ago
  And that is how I quickly explain ORM-D (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORM-D https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORM-D) class items like small arms ammunition, which of course is allowed to be packed in small quantities in individuals' checked luggage: things that aren't particularly dangerous by themselves, but if in a plane's cargo hold in sufficient quantity, could accelerate a fire beyond the capabilities of those fire suppression systems. Whereas few overly worry about shipping 1000+/- rounds by ground, except e.g. the movers that just moved me to my new home, they really can't afford to play the game of numbers with the few trucks they have (no batteries, or liquids (which could make a schedule breaking mess), either). Big enough high energy batteries on planes, or too close to my skin ... those give me the heebie jeebies....
ageitgey 10y ago
Side note: It's against FAA regulations to check bags containing lithium ion batteries. Sometimes they remind you at check-in and sometimes they don't. In theory, you could get into trouble for doing it. https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/hazmat_safety/more_info/?hazmat=7 https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/hazmat_safety/more_inf...
- wtallis 10y ago
  Batteries in devices are allowed, because they are assumed to have the necessary protection from things like accidental short circuits. Bare spare batteries are what's prohibited from checked luggage.
yread 10y ago
There are some countermeasures but they can't handle a large fire see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiana_Airlines_Flight_991 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiana_Airlines_Flight_991 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPS_Airlines_Flight_6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPS_Airlines_Flight_6 for recent examples

nostrademons 10y ago

There are - after a bunch of really bad aircraft fires in the 90s caused by hazardous materials in the cargo holds, the FAA has mandated fire suppression systems in all commercial air cargo holds. Still, though, airlines would rather avoid the problem entirely. Airline safety usually relies on defense-in-depth - you fix the root cause, and then you fix anything else that would've stopped the problem, because things go wrong in a cramped cylinder at 30,000 feet. For example, a fast-moving fire could easily burn through the hydraulics or electronics that would trigger the fire suppression system before it has a chance to go off.

hga 10y ago
And that is how I quickly explain ORM-D (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORM-D https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORM-D) class items like small arms ammunition, which of course is allowed to be packed in small quantities in individuals' checked luggage: things that aren't particularly dangerous by themselves, but if in a plane's cargo hold in sufficient quantity, could accelerate a fire beyond the capabilities of those fire suppression systems. Whereas few overly worry about shipping 1000+/- rounds by ground, except e.g. the movers that just moved me to my new home, they really can't afford to play the game of numbers with the few trucks they have (no batteries, or liquids (which could make a schedule breaking mess), either). Big enough high energy batteries on planes, or too close to my skin ... those give me the heebie jeebies....

ageitgey 10y ago

Side note: It's against FAA regulations to check bags containing lithium ion batteries. Sometimes they remind you at check-in and sometimes they don't. In theory, you could get into trouble for doing it. https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/hazmat_safety/more_info/?hazmat=7 https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/hazmat_safety/more_inf...

wtallis 10y ago
Batteries in devices are allowed, because they are assumed to have the necessary protection from things like accidental short circuits. Bare spare batteries are what's prohibited from checked luggage.

yread 10y ago

There are some countermeasures but they can't handle a large fire see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiana_Airlines_Flight_991 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiana_Airlines_Flight_991 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPS_Airlines_Flight_6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPS_Airlines_Flight_6 for recent examples