B777 flight crew has laptop catch fire in the cabin while parked at the gate prior to departure.

Attributes
ACN	710068
Time
Date	200609
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	710068
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

About 15 mins before departure we were notified that a laptop computer was on fire at seat 1A. Almost immediately we smelled and saw smoke. When I turned around to look over my shoulder it appeared that the entire first class cabin was filled with smoke. The burning smell was very obvious. The relief pilot; a first class passenger and the purser assisted in putting out the fire and removing the laptop from the airplane. The passenger took the laptop to the terminal where the fire reignited and required 3 fire bottles from the lax fire department to extinguish. I stayed on board and helped with smoke removal. The flying copilot called the station and said that we had a fire onboard the aircraft and required the forward jetway to be pulled up in case we needed to evacuate/evacuation. Operations told him to call maintenance! Even after a second call to operations about the fire the jetway was not pulled up. The carpet did catch on fire but was put out without the use of an extinguisher. It took about 10 mins to get rid of the smell and smoke. As a minimum we should; in the future; prohibit carriage of laptops in the cockpit. If this had happened airborne it would have been a very serious situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FLT CREW HAS LAPTOP CATCH FIRE IN THE CABIN WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE PRIOR TO DEP.

Narrative: ABOUT 15 MINS BEFORE DEP WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT A LAPTOP COMPUTER WAS ON FIRE AT SEAT 1A. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WE SMELLED AND SAW SMOKE. WHEN I TURNED AROUND TO LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER IT APPEARED THAT THE ENTIRE FIRST CLASS CABIN WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE BURNING SMELL WAS VERY OBVIOUS. THE RELIEF PLT; A FIRST CLASS PAX AND THE PURSER ASSISTED IN PUTTING OUT THE FIRE AND REMOVING THE LAPTOP FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE PAX TOOK THE LAPTOP TO THE TERMINAL WHERE THE FIRE REIGNITED AND REQUIRED 3 FIRE BOTTLES FROM THE LAX FIRE DEPT TO EXTINGUISH. I STAYED ON BOARD AND HELPED WITH SMOKE REMOVAL. THE FLYING COPLT CALLED THE STATION AND SAID THAT WE HAD A FIRE ONBOARD THE ACFT AND REQUIRED THE FORWARD JETWAY TO BE PULLED UP IN CASE WE NEEDED TO EVAC. OPS TOLD HIM TO CALL MAINT! EVEN AFTER A SECOND CALL TO OPS ABOUT THE FIRE THE JETWAY WAS NOT PULLED UP. THE CARPET DID CATCH ON FIRE BUT WAS PUT OUT WITHOUT THE USE OF AN EXTINGUISHER. IT TOOK ABOUT 10 MINS TO GET RID OF THE SMELL AND SMOKE. AS A MINIMUM WE SHOULD; IN THE FUTURE; PROHIBIT CARRIAGE OF LAPTOPS IN THE COCKPIT. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AIRBORNE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.