Narrative:

Just wanted to reinforce the problem with carrying batteries with unprotected terminals as described by the C172 pilot in the oct/99 callback. I was climbing out on takeoff yrs ago in a C182 when I heard a sharp explosion. Turned around and saw a cloud of light smoke in the baggage compartment. I thought the aircraft battery had exploded but alternator output, etc were normal. Immediately returned to airport, landed, and removed everything from battery compartment. After checking aircraft battery, began to empty luggage, etc. Finally found the remains of the culprit in my flight case. I was using a portable intercom at the time and had changed batteries (9 volt alkaline) just before engine start and had thrown the 'discharged' battery into my flight case for disposal at home. It had shorted out on metallic piece of the flight case and had exploded, apparently due to the ignition of a gaseous by-product of the shorted condition which accumulated in the flight case. After emptying the flight case, the only major parts of the battery we found were the end plates and the metallic case, which was split open. If this explosion had occurred in a pocket, it could have caused serious injury. My wife is a registered nurse, and was in the habit of carrying spare batteries for pacemakers, etc around the hospital in a pocket with coins, keys, etc. Needless to say, she immediately stopped that habit. When we carry 9 volt alkalines now, they not only have a terminal protector in place, they are also held on with rubber bands. Hope this word of caution helps keep the skies (and our bodies) safer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT HAD A 9 VOLT ALKALINE BATTERY EXPLODE IN THE ACFT CARGO COMPARTMENT.

Narrative: JUST WANTED TO REINFORCE THE PROB WITH CARRYING BATTERIES WITH UNPROTECTED TERMINALS AS DESCRIBED BY THE C172 PLT IN THE OCT/99 CALLBACK. I WAS CLBING OUT ON TKOF YRS AGO IN A C182 WHEN I HEARD A SHARP EXPLOSION. TURNED AROUND AND SAW A CLOUD OF LIGHT SMOKE IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. I THOUGHT THE ACFT BATTERY HAD EXPLODED BUT ALTERNATOR OUTPUT, ETC WERE NORMAL. IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO ARPT, LANDED, AND REMOVED EVERYTHING FROM BATTERY COMPARTMENT. AFTER CHKING ACFT BATTERY, BEGAN TO EMPTY LUGGAGE, ETC. FINALLY FOUND THE REMAINS OF THE CULPRIT IN MY FLT CASE. I WAS USING A PORTABLE INTERCOM AT THE TIME AND HAD CHANGED BATTERIES (9 VOLT ALKALINE) JUST BEFORE ENG START AND HAD THROWN THE 'DISCHARGED' BATTERY INTO MY FLT CASE FOR DISPOSAL AT HOME. IT HAD SHORTED OUT ON METALLIC PIECE OF THE FLT CASE AND HAD EXPLODED, APPARENTLY DUE TO THE IGNITION OF A GASEOUS BY-PRODUCT OF THE SHORTED CONDITION WHICH ACCUMULATED IN THE FLT CASE. AFTER EMPTYING THE FLT CASE, THE ONLY MAJOR PARTS OF THE BATTERY WE FOUND WERE THE END PLATES AND THE METALLIC CASE, WHICH WAS SPLIT OPEN. IF THIS EXPLOSION HAD OCCURRED IN A POCKET, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY. MY WIFE IS A REGISTERED NURSE, AND WAS IN THE HABIT OF CARRYING SPARE BATTERIES FOR PACEMAKERS, ETC AROUND THE HOSPITAL IN A POCKET WITH COINS, KEYS, ETC. NEEDLESS TO SAY, SHE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THAT HABIT. WHEN WE CARRY 9 VOLT ALKALINES NOW, THEY NOT ONLY HAVE A TERMINAL PROTECTOR IN PLACE, THEY ARE ALSO HELD ON WITH RUBBER BANDS. HOPE THIS WORD OF CAUTION HELPS KEEP THE SKIES (AND OUR BODIES) SAFER.

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.