The CAA is yet again highlighting the risks posed to aircraft from dangerous goods being taken on to aircraft.

The warning comes after an electric wheelchair caught fire at Manchester airport on 7 September. Baggage staff spotted blue sparks from the wheelchair when unloading the plane. The chair was removed from the aircraft and burst into flames.

Geoff Leach, Manager of the Dangerous Goods Office at the CAA, said: “Thankfully no-one was injured as a result of the Manchester incident. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, but it does highlight the need for passengers to be extremely vigilant when taking items on board aircraft. Passengers need to be aware that some items, which are relatively innocuous in everyday use, are capable of posing a serious risk to the occupants of an aircraft, no matter where they are carried onboard and therefore need to be carefully checked.”

Battery powered wheelchairs may be carried by passengers subject to certain safety conditions, including:

• ensuring the battery is securely attached to the wheelchair;
• protecting the battery and chair from short circuiting; and
• ensuring that the wheelchair cannot become switched on during transport.

Spillable batteries are subject to additional requirements. In all cases, passengers should contact their airline in advance to check what special conditions apply.

Geoff Leach added: “Passengers frequently travel with electronic gadgets or other battery powered items and, although the batteries in these rarely pose a safety problem, if they are loose or the equipment is inadvertently activated there is a danger of fire.”

For more information on the carriage of batteries check out at www.caa.co.uk/docs/1219/srg_dgo_CarriageOfBatteries_20080501.pdf