A B777-200 cabin attendant reports the mid cabin area experienced some smoke and fumes when a passen...

Attributes
ACN	616916
Time
Date	200405
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rjtg.artcc
State Reference	FO
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : rjtg.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach descent : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 4
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 36 flight attendant time total : 36 flight attendant time type : 33
ASRS Report	616916
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event : passenger electronic device other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : person 2
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

A passenger had decided to charge his 9 volt battery to his dvd player with our 15 volt power port system. His battery started to melt. Our own dvd players which we give to our passenger on the 767 do not have chargers packed in them. My understanding of our power ports was they were put on board for entertainment, i.e. Computers, dvd players. Not for maintenance of their batteries of these toys. 20 people decide to charge and I think we'd have a fire. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the passenger had operated the personal dvd and exhausted the battery and decided to recharge the 9 volt battery from the 15 volt seat power port. The reporter said the 9 volt battery not only melted, it was cremated along with some smoke and intense fumes. The reporter stated the battery operated dvd was owned by the passenger and had a wire harness that plugged perfectly into the seat power port. The reporter said it was not determined if the wire harness connected directly to the battery or through circuitry in the dvd. The reporter stated the power port was only for laptop computers and dvd players and not for battery charging. But this dvd could not be used in the seat power port. The reporter said it was unknown if any circuit breaker tripped during this melt down but other units in the area continued to operate. The reporter stated this incident was reported to the carrier and the union.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777-200 CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS THE MID CABIN AREA EXPERIENCED SOME SMOKE AND FUMES WHEN A PAX USED A 15 VOLT SEAT POWER PORT TO CHARGE A 9 VOLT BATTERY FOR A PERSONAL DVD.

Narrative: A PAX HAD DECIDED TO CHARGE HIS 9 VOLT BATTERY TO HIS DVD PLAYER WITH OUR 15 VOLT POWER PORT SYSTEM. HIS BATTERY STARTED TO MELT. OUR OWN DVD PLAYERS WHICH WE GIVE TO OUR PAX ON THE 767 DO NOT HAVE CHARGERS PACKED IN THEM. MY UNDERSTANDING OF OUR POWER PORTS WAS THEY WERE PUT ON BOARD FOR ENTERTAINMENT, I.E. COMPUTERS, DVD PLAYERS. NOT FOR MAINT OF THEIR BATTERIES OF THESE TOYS. 20 PEOPLE DECIDE TO CHARGE AND I THINK WE'D HAVE A FIRE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PAX HAD OPERATED THE PERSONAL DVD AND EXHAUSTED THE BATTERY AND DECIDED TO RECHARGE THE 9 VOLT BATTERY FROM THE 15 VOLT SEAT POWER PORT. THE RPTR SAID THE 9 VOLT BATTERY NOT ONLY MELTED, IT WAS CREMATED ALONG WITH SOME SMOKE AND INTENSE FUMES. THE RPTR STATED THE BATTERY OPERATED DVD WAS OWNED BY THE PAX AND HAD A WIRE HARNESS THAT PLUGGED PERFECTLY INTO THE SEAT POWER PORT. THE RPTR SAID IT WAS NOT DETERMINED IF THE WIRE HARNESS CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO THE BATTERY OR THROUGH CIRCUITRY IN THE DVD. THE RPTR STATED THE POWER PORT WAS ONLY FOR LAPTOP COMPUTERS AND DVD PLAYERS AND NOT FOR BATTERY CHARGING. BUT THIS DVD COULD NOT BE USED IN THE SEAT POWER PORT. THE RPTR SAID IT WAS UNKNOWN IF ANY CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPED DURING THIS MELT DOWN BUT OTHER UNITS IN THE AREA CONTINUED TO OPERATE. THE RPTR STATED THIS INCIDENT WAS RPTED TO THE CARRIER AND THE UNION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A B777-200 cabin attendant reports the mid cabin area experienced some smoke and fumes when a passenger used a 15 volt seat power port to charge a 9 volt battery for a personal dvd.