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UPS analysing lithium battery safety after crash

DUBAI — The operator of the Boeing 747 cargo aircraft which went down in the Nad Al Sheba military camp area here last month, said on Sunday it was assessing fire risks posed by lithium batteries, according to a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report on Friday. The crash killed both pilots.

The FAA had said in its alert that the plane’s cargo contained large quantities of these batteries. ‘‘We note as well that United Parcel Service (UPS) Flight 006 crashed in the United Arab Emirates on September 3, 2010. Investigation of the crash is still underway, and the cause of the crash has not been determined. We are aware, however, that the plane’s cargo did include large quantities of lithium batteries and believe it prudent to advise operators of that fact.’’

Speaking to Khaleej Times, UPS Public Relations Manager Mike Mangeot, said the firm was in the process of analysing the authority’s report on fire risks of lithium batteries.

‘‘Speaking broadly, UPS has a standing lithium battery working group and an in-flight fire mitigation team that are already looking at issues similar to those outlined in the Safo (Safety Alert for Operators).’’ Mangeot said the company would not be drawn into speculating the cause of the crash when an official inquiry was being conducted by a team headed by the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority and included experts from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing, FAA and UPS.

It is important to understand that the investigation into the Dubai accident has not mentioned a cause, and may not for quite some time, until experts have been able to conduct a thorough analysis of the facts, he said.

‘‘We commend the FAA for its drive to improve lithium battery safety and have a long track record of working with them to improve safety on industry-wide issues like this,’’ he added.

The Wall Street Journal had first reported that lithium batteries could have stoked the fire on board the ill-fated flight.

Smoke was reported from the cockpit and the two pilots said they were unable to maintain altitude, according to an GCAA statement earlier.

The FAA said lithium metal batteries were highly flammable and capable of ignition. ‘‘This can be caused when a battery short circuits, is overcharged, is heated to extreme temperatures, is mishandled, or is otherwise defective.’

allan@khaleejtimes.com’

• UAE