Lap Top On Fire On Jet Blue Flight

a reply to: MRuss

Laptops are potentially very dangerous on flights, the batteries in most laptops carry the explosive power of a hand grenade, or even more in the case of some of the higher powered ones. I've heard theories you could take down an entire plane in a suicide attack with a single laptop battery.

Here's the problem though. EVERYTHING is dangerous. We can't ban things just because it might be used for something. That's acting out of fear, and eventually that mentality leads to banning everything. Even maximum security, where we all live in automated jail cells and are chained to the walls doesn't give 100% security. Life involves risk, and freedom involves even more risk. Banning laptops is absurd and a kneejerk reaction over a what if. What if instead of the laptop being on my person, I set the battery to overvolt at X time while it's sitting in the luggage compartment? The same damage still gets done.

Watch this. These fires are not just a minor occurrence.

a reply to: Aazadan

the batteries in most laptops carry the explosive power of a hand grenade, or even more in the case of some of the higher powered ones.

I disagree.
The power contained and available to "go off" is listed on the side in milliamp hours.
It is not grenade level.

The problem is the newer lithium type batteries have very low internal resistance.
In layman's terms all of that power is available in an instant.
You can buy shirt pocket batteries that will start a car. That's 60+ amps
Unlike older batteries where the internal resistance restricted the current/power output. 3-5 amps

I'm pretty sure pure lithium will combust with water. Could be a problem if the fire was fought with water. I don't know for sure, but it seems like a potential issue.

originally posted by: MRuss
The powers that be have been discussing banning laptops on flights----and just now a Jet Blue plane had to perform an emergency landing because someone's laptop started on fire.

But I'm concerned a laptop could do the same thing in the luggage hold. At least the flight crew saw it and responded to it. Down below, a laptop on fire will take awhile to announce itself.

I'm all for safe flying, but there's nothing like being able to work on a long flight.

Do you think laptops are really a huge threat to flying? And has this just sealed the deal?

Either someone has discovered a reason why lap tops have a high fire risk or, this story is a BS story to stop people using 'take over distressed planes' technology that GW Bush said the US will develop after 911.

It was posted on ATS a while back about some bloke who must have had such technology on their computer because as a passenger, they were able to take the plane over and cause it to rise higher in the air, just to prove the point.

Perhaps if it is the case that laptops have a high fire risk, the cause may be some kind of code or viris or perhaps even hardware which can be configured by those who know how, to make lap tops heat up and catch fire thus brining down the plane.

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: MRuss

Are there more laptop fires, than their are human spontaneous combustion fires?

That is a brilliant question.

Now I am fascinated at SHC on flights! Thanks!

a reply to: Azureblue

The problem is the charger, not the device itself. The electrical system on a plane doesn't always play well with them. It's not like a home electrical system, where you get pretty smooth power in all the time. It's generator driven and fluctuates in flight. This causes odd things to happen in some chargers.