Investigators looking into thermal runaway in EgyptAir 804 crash

French accident investigators are looking into the possibility that an Apple iPhone 6S and iPad Mini 4 were responsible for the crash of EgyptAir 804, May 19th 2016. The aircraft was operating from Paris to Cairo, when it crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, killing all 66 people on board. Evidence of a fire on board was found, near the galley area, and Egyptian investigators claim to have found evidence of explosives on some of the remains recovered.

French investigators now believe that the first officer may have plugged his iPhone and Ipad Mini into a socket in the cockpit that may have resulted in a thermal runaway, which started a fire. Three experts have been brought in to examine the possibility and the evidence. Apple says they are unaware of any evidence linking the devices to the crash, but are willing to cooperate.

French investigators are looking into the possibility that a pair of Apple mobile devices caused EgyptAir Flight 804 to crash in 2016.

According to a report by Le Parisien, French officials have ordered an investigation into whether the plane was brought down by a fire resulting from overheated mobile devices.

Officials say an Apple iPhone 6S and an iPad Mini 4 belonging to the flight's first officer may have been plugged into an improper socket in the plane's cockpit — possibly causing a thermal runaway.

A trio of experts — an engineer from the French National Center for Scientific Research along with a physics professor and an engineer who specializes in battery technology, both from the country's defense ministry — have been retained to complete the investigation into the matter, Le Parisien reported.

Investigators looking at Apple products in plane crash

a reply to: Zaphod58

Your link doesn't work but I did find this from earlier this year.
I'd like to have a look at your article and see what the updated information is.

David Learmount, operations and safety editor at Flight International magazine and a former pilot, said he thought the idea that mobile devices were the cause was a "red herring".

"Firstly, pilots don't leave objects on the dashboard because they know the they will end up in their lap when they take off or on the floor and they'll get airborne in turbulence and could jam the controls."

"Also, a phone bursting into flames just below the windscreen is a fairly spectacular thing to take place on a flight, and they would have told somebody on the ground. Nobody has mentioned this.

Source

a reply to: D8Tee

As much as I respect him, he makes the same assumptions as others do. There's no reason to assume that a pilot flying cruise wouldn't either use the instrument panel, or set them somewhere convenient where they might not have noticed a fire immediately, and the pilots may have gotten to busy trying to deal with the situation they didn't radio.

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.

With Apple profits reaching 1 trillion dollars, maybe they need some lawsuits. After all, the company got started by monetary gains from the creation and sale of a device that hacked into the AT&T system to make free long distance and international calls.

Zaph:

Because I am not much of a technical person, as you know, does this mean that this would have occurred because of voltage spikes?

I ask because a certain network of trains (nearing the end of their working age, 25+years old) have sockets which aren't supposed to be used for modern chargers for phones, tablets etc because of risk of voltage spikes or something along those lines. The operator warns of it in the vein that it could destroy your device but I wondered if it was the other way around?

If so, is my feeble mind on the right track in regards to this investigation?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.

You are light years ahead of me in the airplane department, but that phrase is drilled into me from the countless times I've pointed it out to people as to why sometimes Maydays don't get called.

It's my pet theory that Flight 370 was taken down by it's cargo of lithium batteries combusting.

The pilots would have disconnected the main breaker in an attempt to stop an electrical fire and could well not have been able to communicate, and like you say, aviate and navigate come first.

originally posted by: D8Tee
a reply to: Zaphod58

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.

You are light years ahead of me in the airplane department, but that phrase is drilled into me from the countless times I've pointed it out to people as to why sometimes Maydays don't get called.

It's my pet theory that Flight 370 was taken down by it's cargo of lithium batteries combusting.

In regards to MH370 I'm still going with rotten mangosteens combusting.

a reply to: auroraaus

Yes, you are. That's what would have happened here. It would have overheated the device to the point it started a fire.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thanks Zaph!

The craft itself wasn't that old in the scheme of things, only started flying in 2003 but I do suppose technology gone way further in the last few years, not the mention the last 15 or so.

If it is indeed found to be the cause - what would be the measures taken to prevent another tragic outcome?

Obviously I suppose airlines could outright ban charging mobile phones and tablets on planes. However I ask if there is a way to make the sockets safer, some sort of adapter or would that be too expensive?

On another note: On private aircraft and on craft like AF1 AF2, how are these protected?

It's a laptop instead but still lithium batteries. Can be bad

Extinguishing In-Flight Laptop Computer Fires - Lithium Battery Thermal Runway

a reply to: auroraaus

They have sockets for phones and other devices that won't cause any problems. They're looking at the possibility in this case that he used an unprotected socket that wasn't meant to charge devices.

So, no charging onboard......good idea

Dang, tricky crap pilots get to endure....God love em