Analysis of Thermal Runaway Incidents Involving Lithium Batteries in U.S. Commercial Aviation

Abstract

Thermal runaway incidents involving lithium batteries as cargo, in luggage, or as personal property in the cabin have been associated with fatalities, the destruction of cargo, and even the loss of entire aircraft. This research represents the first examination of the incidence of lithium battery thermal runaway incidents involving a variety of rechargeable lithium-ion and lithium metal batteries on commercial flights in the U.S.A. The objective is to examine the occurrence of these thermal runaway incidents and the circumstances surrounding them from the best available data source, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) hazardous material incident database. Using descriptive statistics, the frequency of incidents and the circumstances surrounding these incidents, including incident characteristics, device type, preceding event, activity of device, and location of incident between 1996 and July 2019, are examined. There were records of 274 thermal runaway incidents in U.S. commercial air transportation during the approximately 23-year period., with 76% of these incidents reported since 2015. Fire was the most commonly reported characteristic and loose lithium batteries not otherwise specified were the most common device involved in these thermal runaways. Missing information on the circumstances surrounding incidents among was a common condition, and “Not Specified” represented the largest categorization of preceding events, activity of device and the second largest category of location. The focus of this paper is aviation, but it is expected that some of the insights and lessons learned from incidents in aviation can be extended to other modes of transportation as well.