905 Li-ion Thermal Runaway

905 Li-ion Thermal Runaway

From Airplane Geeks Podcast by Airplane Geeks

August 19, 2026 · 1h 8m · Episode 905

About this episode

The episode discusses various aviation incidents and safety concerns related to Li-ion batteries and other topics.

Li-ion thermal runaways in aircraft cabins, Ryanair engine blade-out accident, two planes with the same flight number at the same airport at the same time, Marine One and commercial operations at DCA, Air India crash report update, Boeing 737 Max crack inspections, hiring gamers to become air traffic controllers, and the Heart Aerospace X1 battery-electric demonstrator first flight. Aviation News Li-ion Thermal Runaways on the Rise in Aircraft Cabins UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) issued a 2025 Data Review, Lithium-ion Battery Incidents in Aviation [PDF, 13 pages]. The study reports a 15% increase in Lithium-ion battery thermal runaway incidents on passenger flights in 2025, compared to the year prior. Portable charger incidents increased 42%, ahead of e-cigarettes, with cell phones the third most common device involved in thermal runaways. The data comes from the voluntary ULSE Thermal Runaway Incident Program (TRIP). More than 40 passenger and cargo airlines participate in the program. These incidents cost the industry an average of $1.8 million a year, or $96,000 per incident, “in damage, disruption, and associated losses.” To mitigate the risk of thermal runaway…

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ryanair, Air India, Boeing, Marine One, UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE)

Products: Lithium-ion Battery, portable charger, e-cigarettes, cell phones

Places: DCA

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