SEATTLE- The National Transportation Safety Board is now investigating a strange electric fire aboard a brand new Japan Airlines 787 which was discovered 15 minutes after the passengers and crew disembarked.

A mechanic who boarded the plane first noticed smoke in the cockpit and called the fire department.

Massport Fire Chief Bob Donahue briefed reporters on what firefighters found in the rear cargo compartment.

There was heavy smoke. We used our thermal imaging equipment to identify hot spots and identified a fire condition about mid-ship in the avionics compartment, he said.

Donahue said the battery and other components were on fire, and that the battery exploded after the flames were extinguished.

The NTSB investigation will have to decide if the battery was a symptom of another problem, or the cause of the fire. But there s a lot of interest in this case as the Federal Aviation Administration granted Boeing a waiver to use lithium ion batteries in the plane.

The modern battery technology is commonly used in cell phones and laptops because it can last a long time and holds a charge. But in documents, the FAA says the batteries can catch fire and explode if they are overcharged, or even undercharged. The document stating: In general, lithium ion batteries are significantly more susceptible to internal failures than can result in self-sustaining increases in temperature and pressure (thermal runaway) than their nickel-cadmium or lead-acid counterparts.






The FAA noted in its 2007 rule that, In general, lithium ion batteries are significantly more susceptible to internal failures that can result in self-sustaining increases in temperature and pressure. ... The metallic lithium can ignite, resulting in a self-sustaining fire or explosion.







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