Fiery Explosions Show Why the FAA Doesn’t Want Laptops in Luggage

[Announcer] You'd be forgiven for being confused

about the safest place for electronics on a plane.

Remember that earlier laptop ban

on large electronics in the cabin.

Well forget that,

because now the Federal Aviation Administration says

things like laptops should not be placed in checked luggage,

because of the risk of this.

(boom)

In this test FAA fire safety experts

put a Ziploc bag containing typical toiletries

like nail polish remover, hand sanitizer

and a can of dry shampoo in luggage next to a laptop.

They put a heater on the lithium ion battery

in the computer and forced it into thermal runaway,

a vicious circle where the battery gets hotter and hotter

until,

(boom)

the explosion here is actually the dry shampoo can,

which in this case was strapped to the laptop.

The FAA conducted 10 tests similar to this.

(boom)

(boom)

(boom)

(boom)

They found that because fires grew so quickly,

it's possible they'd overwhelm the halon gas fire

suppression systems in plane cargo compartments.

The other tests aren't quite as dramatic

as the can exploding, but they do still result in fires,

which you just don't ever want on a plane.

(boom)

In another FAA test here,

you can see what happens when a tablet

catches fire in a galley cart,

the type that flight attendants use

to serve food or drinks.

(boom)

And this is lithium ion batteries in a cargo container.

(boom)

Just for good measure, this is an aerosol pan

in a cargo compartment like you'd find on a small plane.

Okay fine, pretty convincing,

but just a few months ago the US had a ban

on passengers from certain countries

carrying anything larger than a cell phone on board.

Everything else, from tablets to laptops

to DVD players had to be checked.

The reason given then was that a terrorist

could disguise a bomb as a battery

and designate it in flight if the device was with them.

That ban has been rowed back and replaced with extra

airport scrutiny and more misery in the security lines.

The FAA proposal to now ban batteries in checked bags

and presumably force people to carry

their electronics on board

does have backing from European officials too.

These sorts of conflicting guidelines are not ideal,

but they are the reality when it comes to balancing risks,

which is what officials are now trying to do

to keep flying safer for everyone.