Probably the battery? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2015, 09:13:21 pm
content: "Flight to Seattle diverted when credit card reader starts smoking"In a nutshell: The website:"He says a credit card reader started smoking and the crew put it out with a fire extinguisher." Also, I heard in a radio news report "it caused a fire after it was thrown into the trash bin." So the news is not yet in sync.http://www.kgw.com/story/news/2015/10/12/flight-seattle-diverted-when-credit-card-reader-catches-fire/73817432/Battery?Power circuit?Divine intervention or alien attack?Other?(Since this is such a small/minor news, I doubt we will have a follow-up report. So, the guess will likely remain a guess forever.)

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2015, 11:26:52 pm
content: There should be a report on the Aviation Herald (http://avherald.com/) soon, they report about problems in flight very reliably...I suspect some kind of battery problem, but I'm obviously not sure.

author: encryptededdy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 04:42:30 am
content: http://avherald.com/h?article=48db4747&opt=0QuoteSo yup, battery.

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2015, 06:59:13 am
content: Well there we go.In other news, a Scandinavian Airlines plane suffered an electrical short circuit due to their coffeemaker yesterday.http://avherald.com/h?article=48dbf288&opt=1

author: BradC
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2015, 07:07:41 am
content: Quote from: crispy_tofu on October 14, 2015, 06:59:13 amI don't care which airline on which route, inability to serve coffee is an emergency worthy of immediate diversion."Miss, are you telling us everything?""We're also out of coffee"

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2015, 04:17:31 pm
content: One of the reason I posted that is: I think the credit card reader thing is a bit more "substantial". Few passengers carry their own coffee maker onto a flight, but many/most will board a flight with lithium battery powered stuff.numberOfFlights * numberOfCustomers * fractionOfPhoneCarringCustomer = highNumberThis flight just had an emergency landing. Had this been a confirmed crash, bureaucrats will behave like bureaucrats. Someone just may propose banninganybattery device on board.Some time ago, some news story came out about cell phones being "dangerous while refilling gasoline". In 1999 the city of Cicero, Illinois passed the first law in the U.S. banning the use of cellular phones at gas stations. When the story resurfaced couple of years ago, most of the gas station I frequent posted big signs "no phone use allowed".source: Fact or Fiction: Using a Cell Phone at the Gas Station Can Cause a Firehttp://www.verizonwireless.com/news/article/2014/12/fact-or-fiction-using-a-cell-phone-at-the-gas-station-can-cause-a-fire.htmlThe stupidity of bureaucrats never cease to amaze me. There is the absolutist attitude "if just one person got hurt out of a trillion incidents, it gotta stop how every much stopping it costs."

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2015, 08:42:59 pm
content: I agree. There was also this incident a few weeks ago when a mobile phone caught on fire (!) by dropping it between seats (!!)Quotehttp://avherald.com/h?article=48b2147eQuote from: Rick Law on October 14, 2015, 04:17:31 pmI know this is theoretical, but that would be going hugely backwards, considering that the FAA is now allowing people to use their electronics during takeoff. But, hey it might happen.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 14, 2015, 09:19:40 pm
content: Hostess: sir will you please answer the Air Marshall's question as to why you are ignoring air staff on the flightAir Marshall: Sir your behaviour is very suspicious when asked to answer the air hostess, can you tell me why you did not do soOld Man: Listen sonny, you don't need to darn well shout at me , I am not senile, just give me back my god damn hearing aids and I will be able to under stand you perfectly.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2015, 01:51:14 am
content: Quote from: crispy_tofu on October 14, 2015, 08:42:59 pmBoeing planes should be banned. Better yet, ban British Airways.

author: jwm_
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2015, 01:52:42 am
content: I wonder if it has something to do with the pressure differential. I could see one of the li-poly pouches expanding due to the lower air pressure and causing an internal short of some sort due to a defect that wasn't obvious at sea level.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2015, 03:37:43 am
content: Quote from: crispy_tofu on October 14, 2015, 08:42:59 pmOr better yet, redesign the seats to remove all the pinch points. If that one had enough force to crush a smartphone imagine what it would do to a curious child's hand...