Investigators began on Monday the inspection of the Air Busan Airbus A321, registration HL7763, that caught fire at Gimbae International Airport in South Korea on January 28.
The aircraft was carrying 169 passengers and seven crew members and was preparing to depart for a flight to Hong Kong when smoke was seen coming from one of the overhead bins at the back of the main cabin.
Follow us: WhatsApp | BlueSky | Google News | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook
After the A321 was safely evacuated, a large fire started on the roof of the fuselage, which was controlled in time to avoid reaching the wings, which were loaded with fuel.
The jet ended up being kept at the site with full tanks until Monday due to the risk of explosion.
According to reports from crew and passengers, a portable power bank caught fire and then reached luggage. An image shared on social media shows the luggage compartment already in flames.
A flight attendant reportedly identified the location as above seat 28L.
Air Busan has announced that it will prohibit passengers from keeping power banks inside luggage stored in overhead compartments.
Carry-on bags will be inspected and tagged after the checks find no such devices.
Power banks contain lithium batteries that can trigger fires due to short circuits caused by damage or manufacturing defects.
Years ago, batteries of this type installed in the Boeing 787 caused several problems in the first years of operation until the manufacturer was able to resolve the issue.
