Interesting. But the report doesn't really tell us anything we don't know about LiPo's.
SR 018, 019 and 020 are as useless as TOAB without requiring an extinguisher to be carried - and there is none. I understand some manufacturers of SLS's already incorporate fire warning systems but without extinguisher backup. Not with-standing, it must be realized that any type of battery can explode. I look forward to the AAIB report on the certification process followed by EASA. Noel. -----Original Message----- From: Aus-soaring [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Justin Couch Sent: Friday, September 29, 2017 5:33 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] FES fire in the UK Here's the actual AAIB report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/59c8f175e5274a49c07f4704/AAIB_S3-2017_G-GSGS.pdf On 29/09/2017 7:02 AM, Future Aviation Pty. Ltd. wrote: > Good morning all > > This was sent to me over night by a German friend of mine. > > As you can see, no mention was made of the type of battery used here. > From my visits to the AERO trade fair I know that some manufacturers use > LiPo Batteries. > They have the best power to weight ratio but they are known to be extremely > dangerous. > I will attempt to find out if this type of battery was installed in this > glider. > > Kind regards to all > > Bernard > >> From UK, newspaper report: >> >> >> >> >> The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has made a safety recommendation >> after a sailplane burst into flames shortly after landing in Parham >> Airfield. On August 10, 2017, the glider sailplane set off from the airfield >> between Storrington and Pulborough at 10.21am for a flight lasting >> approximately two hours. The glider was flown normally to a smooth >> touchdown, according to the AAIB, until the pilot heard an ‘unexpected >> noise’. The AAIB report said: “As the glider slowed during the ground run, >> the pilot smelled burning and the cockpit filled with smoke that was moving >> forwards from behind the pilot’s head. “He vacated the cockpit normally, >> without injury, and observed that the Front Electric Sustainer (FES) battery >> compartment cover was missing and that smoke, followed shortly by flames, >> was coming from the battery compartment. “The airfield fire truck arrived >> promptly and an initial attempt was made to extinguish the fire using a CO2 >> gaseous extinguisher, but this proved unsuccessful. “Aqueous film-forming >> foam (AFFF) was then sprayed into the FES battery compartment and the fire >> was extinguished.” >> >> >> The pilot was the only person on board the glider, according to the AAIB. >> >> He did not report observing any warning messages or illuminated LEDs, when >> asked by the AAIB, although his attention was drawn outside the cockpit >> during landing. >> >> The AAIB report found existing FES battery installations ‘do not provide >> sufficient warning’ to a pilot of a fire. >> >> As a result, the AAIB made a safety recommendation that ‘all powered >> sailplanes fitted with an FES system, must be equipped with a warning system >> to alert the pilot to the presence of a fire in the FES battery compartment’. >> >> The AAIB investigation confirmed the ‘origin of the fire’ was the forward >> FES battery. >> >> The report added: “Its battery box was ruptured along the rear left corner >> and the battery assembly was heavily fire damaged. >> >> “The rear FES battery box suffered from external fire damage although the >> internal components were only slightly damaged and the cells remained >> charged. >> >> “The FES battery compartment was heavily fire damaged. >> >> >> >> see also >> >> https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-special-bulletin-s3-2017-on-hph- >> glasflugel-304-es-g-gsgs >> <https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-special-bulletin-s3-2017-on-hph >> -glasflugel-304-es-g-gsgs> >> http://www.front-electric-sustainer.com/news.php >> <http://www.front-electric-sustainer.com/news.php> >> http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/20170906EASAAD20170167E.pdf >> <http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/20170906EASAAD20170167E.pdf> -- Justin Couch http://www.vlc.com.au/ Java 3D Graphics Information http://www.j3d.org/ LinkedIn http://au.linkedin.com/in/justincouch/ G+ WetMorgoth ------------------------------------------------------------------- "Look through the lens, and the light breaks down into many lights. Turn it or move it, and a new set of arrangements appears... is it a single light or many lights, lights that one must know how to distinguish, recognise and appreciate? Is it one light with many frames or one frame for many lights?" -Subcomandante Marcos ------------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring
