Virgin Australia flight met by firefighters at Melbourne airport after smoke seen coming from vape | Transport
The Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Melbourne was greeted by firefighters after smoke was seen coming from the electronic cigarette on board.
Melbourne airport said flight VA 328 landed safely and all passengers disembarked normally after a vape was “activated” in the cabin shortly before landing at around 4pm on Sunday afternoon in Melbourne.
It was learned that a passenger notified the crew when he saw smoke coming out of the device. The crew then began the process of bringing the unit under control.
A Melbourne airport spokesman said Boeing 737 pilots declared a Pan onboard indicating an emergency. Pan calls are used to indicate a situation that is less urgent than a distress call but still requires the attention of air traffic control.
As a precaution, firefighters followed the plane to the door and removed the device from the plane.
A spokesperson for Virgin Australia said the safety of the airline’s guests and crew “is its top priority and we thank our crew for their quick response in containing the device.”
Electronic cigarettes contain small lithium batteries, known as “thermal runaway,” which can cause fires when damaged or overheated.
According to Virgin Australia’s website, electronic cigarettes and e-cigarettes are called portable electronic devices and should only be carried in carry-on luggage.
In July, on a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Hobart, a power bank in a backpack in the overhead locker ignited. The incident triggered a change in the airline’s security policy; Power banks can now only be hidden in a seat pocket, under the front seat, or in people’s hands.
It is understood that all Virgin aircraft carry onboard equipment to suppress fire damage from lithium batteries in the event of thermal runaway.
Dr D., an expert on advanced lithium battery technologies at CSIRO. Adam Best said e-cigarette batteries are more prone to failure than power banks.
“The quality of the batteries used in these devices is often much worse than what we see in power banks,” he said, given that most e-cigarettes are designed to be disposable.
He said many e-cigarettes do not include safety features that “lock” the unit in case of damage and are manufactured in factories that are not strictly regulated. While many e-cigarettes are breath activated, some have a power switch that can be accidentally turned on.
He said any malfunction caused by previous damage to the unit or the manufacturing process could lead to sudden high temperatures, fire, release of toxic gases or, in the worst case, explosion.
