NTSB Member Expresses Concerns About HazMat | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-03.24.25

SunnFun-DayOne-04.01.25

Airborne-DayTwo-04.02.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-03.27.25

Airborne-Unlimited-03.28.25

DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT Miss Monday's Historic (Really) SUN n FUN Innovation Preview: www.airborne-live.net, 1600ET!!!

Fri, May 15, 2009

NTSB Member Expresses Concerns About HazMat

Lithium Batteries Attract Scrutiny

NTSB Member Deborah A.P. Hersman testified, Thursday, before Congress about the safety of hazardous materials transportation. Part of that testimony was focused on the transportation of lithium batteries, a current issue of concern to many in aviation.

Testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, Hersman said that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has failed to act on NTSB recommendations to address these safety issues.

The NTSB has recommended that PHMSA require reporting of all incidents involving lithium battery fires, that failed batteries be retained and examined, and that exemptions allowing transportation of some lithium batteries without proper labeling be eliminated. Lithium batteries are commonly found in watches, cameras, cell phones and laptop computers.  Failed batteries can ignite spontaneously,
posing a safety hazard when they are transported in aviation.

The NTSB investigated a fire that destroyed two cargo pallets at Los Angeles International Airport in 1999, and another fire in 2006 that destroyed a cargo aircraft in Philadelphia. Although the second case could not be directly tied to lithium batteries, the accident prompted the Board to closely examine the issue.

"As the popularity of electronic equipment has increased," Hersman said, "so has the number of incidents of lithium battery fires in transportation. An in-depth analysis of the causes of lithium battery failures would improve the safe transportation of these batteries." 

FMI: www.ntsb.gov/speeches/hersman/Testimony_Hersman_090514.pdf

Advertisement

More News

SilverLight Aviation Provides Updates

Gyroplanes, New Airplane, AJ Sport Displayed At SUN ‘n FUN SilverLight Aviation, based in Tampa, Florida, announced it will have aircraft on display at the SUN ‘n FUN A>[...]

Airborne Affordable Flyers 03.27.25: MOSAIC To Miss OSH?, Flight Design, Dynon

Also: 2025 SnF Innovation Preview, Nat'l Aeronca Convention, Wright Flyer III, Ford Tri-Motor With a new political reality sweeping Washington, DC, and that doesn’t even incl>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.01.25)

Aero Linx: Fairchild Club Home of Fairchild owners, pilots and enthusiasts. You need not own a Fairchild to be part of our Club and share our enthusiasm for the Airplanes. To Join >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (03.31.25)

Aero Linx: Bellanca Champion Club The Bellanca-Champion Club welcomes all owners, pilots, and enthusiasts. Whether you're a Bellanca owner or not, we invite you to join us. The clu>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (03.31.25)

“The TURBINE powered Velocity V-Twin flew today for the first time!!! Great first flight with just a few minor squawks...” Source: The initial report from Velocity Airc>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC