CASA issues mobile phone warning

A recent spate of in-flight emergency events has prompted the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to issue a warning to passengers travelling over the holiday season.

According to a CASA news release, nine separate incidents involving phones being crushed by seat mechanisms have been reported and airlines are continuing to urge passengers not to move seats when searching for dropped phones. Crushing the phones can lead to lithium batteries overheating and catching fire.

CASA says that aircraft manufacturers are currently looking at seat redesigns to combat the issue and that slimmer phone designs and more powerful batteries are the root of the problem. The issue has been nominated as the biggest dangerous goods safety risk of 2016.

Lithium batteries and portable power packs come in at number two on the dangerous goods list, with passengers still failing to carry spare batteries safely.

Spare batteries must never be carried in checked luggage at any time but should be taken on board aircraft in carry-on baggage, with the battery terminals protected.

Hoverboards have made the dangerous goods list for the first time, with passengers still packing the self-balancing scooter in luggage despite widespread warnings. The absence of manufacturing standards for hoverboards creates an increased risk of fire.

Compressed oxygen also makes the dangerous goods list, with passengers requiring oxygen for medical purposes failing to contact their airline before travelling.

CASA has an app to inform airline passengers about dangerous goods safety, which can be downloaded from the App Store, Google Play or Webapp. You can also download it using this link.