Narrative:

Early on jul/xa/95, I used my laptop computer and printer from my hotel room at bdl to obtain WX and file my flight plan for the citation. I then shut down the computer and printer, and packed them into the cloth carrying bag. About an hour later, as I was checking out of the hotel, I smelled plastic burning. I looked down and saw smoke coming from my computer bag. When I opened it, a 3 inch flame immediately appeared from the printer. The carrying case also caught fire. Both burned quickly. We managed to put out the fires and I then removed the nicad batteries from the printer before they could catch fire and possibly explode. I am most alarmed because had this happened 1 hour later my computer and printer would have been packed in the baggage compartment where it would have been impossible to get to it before a catastrophe. I also called the manufacturer of the printer, and they expressed surprise but no concern over this event. However, I have since found out that this printer is no longer available, and others have also had spontaneous fires in their printers. With the ever increasing number of computers and other electronic devices with nicad batteries that are carried aboard aircraft, the prospect of an in-flight fire appears to be very real. I have also brought this to the attention of the baltimore FSDO. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated in the process of investigating the availability of the printer he met another person who had the printer catch fire. He had that person's name and phone number. The batteries are 'D' size nickel nicad and the printer takes 4 of them. The flame was about the size of a candle flame. The reporter said if the nicad batteries were to light off they would burn like a 'grenade.' the printer costs new about $350 and the case was all melted. The printer is an ink jet printer and he did not know whether the fluid was flammable, but, there is a fluid associated with the printer process. From what the reporter has been able to determine the manufacturer has removed the printer from the market.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LAPTOP COMPUTER PRINTER SPONTANEOUSLY CATCHES FIRE IN CLOTH COMPUTER CASE AT HOTEL.

Narrative: EARLY ON JUL/XA/95, I USED MY LAPTOP COMPUTER AND PRINTER FROM MY HOTEL ROOM AT BDL TO OBTAIN WX AND FILE MY FLT PLAN FOR THE CITATION. I THEN SHUT DOWN THE COMPUTER AND PRINTER, AND PACKED THEM INTO THE CLOTH CARRYING BAG. ABOUT AN HR LATER, AS I WAS CHKING OUT OF THE HOTEL, I SMELLED PLASTIC BURNING. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM MY COMPUTER BAG. WHEN I OPENED IT, A 3 INCH FLAME IMMEDIATELY APPEARED FROM THE PRINTER. THE CARRYING CASE ALSO CAUGHT FIRE. BOTH BURNED QUICKLY. WE MANAGED TO PUT OUT THE FIRES AND I THEN REMOVED THE NICAD BATTERIES FROM THE PRINTER BEFORE THEY COULD CATCH FIRE AND POSSIBLY EXPLODE. I AM MOST ALARMED BECAUSE HAD THIS HAPPENED 1 HR LATER MY COMPUTER AND PRINTER WOULD HAVE BEEN PACKED IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT WHERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO GET TO IT BEFORE A CATASTROPHE. I ALSO CALLED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE PRINTER, AND THEY EXPRESSED SURPRISE BUT NO CONCERN OVER THIS EVENT. HOWEVER, I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THIS PRINTER IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE, AND OTHERS HAVE ALSO HAD SPONTANEOUS FIRES IN THEIR PRINTERS. WITH THE EVER INCREASING NUMBER OF COMPUTERS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES WITH NICAD BATTERIES THAT ARE CARRIED ABOARD ACFT, THE PROSPECT OF AN INFLT FIRE APPEARS TO BE VERY REAL. I HAVE ALSO BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTN OF THE BALTIMORE FSDO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED IN THE PROCESS OF INVESTIGATING THE AVAILABILITY OF THE PRINTER HE MET ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAD THE PRINTER CATCH FIRE. HE HAD THAT PERSON'S NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. THE BATTERIES ARE 'D' SIZE NICKEL NICAD AND THE PRINTER TAKES 4 OF THEM. THE FLAME WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A CANDLE FLAME. THE RPTR SAID IF THE NICAD BATTERIES WERE TO LIGHT OFF THEY WOULD BURN LIKE A 'GRENADE.' THE PRINTER COSTS NEW ABOUT $350 AND THE CASE WAS ALL MELTED. THE PRINTER IS AN INK JET PRINTER AND HE DID NOT KNOW WHETHER THE FLUID WAS FLAMMABLE, BUT, THERE IS A FLUID ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRINTER PROCESS. FROM WHAT THE RPTR HAS BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THE MANUFACTURER HAS REMOVED THE PRINTER FROM THE MARKET.

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.