Power bank catches fire on KLM flight to Curaçao
The Dutch Safety Board is examining crew training and firefighting equipment after a power bank caught fire on a KLM flight to Curaçao, and hopes to finish by the end of next year.
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Illustrative photo: Can Pac Swire / CC BY-SA 2.0The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) has opened an investigation into a power bank that caught fire on a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Curaçao on 17 September. The plane turned back to Amsterdam. The power bank belonged to Camiel Eurlings, a former KLM chief executive.
KLM does not allow passengers to use or charge power banks on board. They may bring up to two, which must travel in hand luggage and stay within the passenger's sight.
The board wants to know how the fire started, how the crew acted and whether they had enough training to deal with burning power banks. It is also checking whether there is enough firefighting equipment on board.
"Everything can be a subject of the investigation," an OVV spokesperson said. The board hopes to finish at the end of next year.
KLM announced its own investigation earlier. The airline says the crew acted according to the "applicable rules". The crew put out the fire and cooled the power bank in water.
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OVV (Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid)
The Dutch Safety Board is the independent Dutch body that investigates accidents and incidents in sectors such as aviation, shipping, rail, road and industry, to establish what caused them. It does not decide guilt or liability; its aim is to learn lessons and issue recommendations to prevent similar incidents. Its findings are published in reports, and its investigations run separately from criminal or civil proceedings.