A flight attendant reports a passenger experiences an overheating and smoking laptop power adapter. ...

Attributes
ACN	718753
Time
Date	200610
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzzz.artcc
State Reference	FO
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
ASRS Report	718753
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
ASRS Report	718754
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event : passenger electronic device other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 4
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Passenger at seat abc reported to me that laptop power adapter that he had just purchased from air carrier's duty free had overheated and it was smoking. I took the adapter to door 1L where flight attendant placed it in an empty metal ice bucket and placed it on the floor. Flight attendant notified the purser and cockpit while I took the halon extinguisher from the stowage location (101) at door 1L and proceeded to fight the fire. On discharging the halon 1211; we were shocked to see a clear liquid discharge from the extinguisher. (No powder.) the adapter was covered in liquid and bubbled for a while. We did not feel that it was necessary to use a second extinguisher as the fire and smoke had ceased. I am greatly concerned that if it was a cockpit fire or a more severe fire that this halon extinguisher would have caused further issues; ie; wet liquid on electrical fire.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT ATTENDANT RPTS A PAX EXPERIENCES AN OVERHEATING AND SMOKING LAPTOP POWER ADAPTER. FLT ATTENDANT USES A HALON EXTINGUISHER ON THE ADAPTER; BUT THE EXTINGUISHER IS CHARGED WITH LIQUID INSTEAD OF HALON.

Narrative: PAX AT SEAT ABC REPORTED TO ME THAT LAPTOP POWER ADAPTER THAT HE HAD JUST PURCHASED FROM ACR'S DUTY FREE HAD OVERHEATED AND IT WAS SMOKING. I TOOK THE ADAPTER TO DOOR 1L WHERE FLT ATTENDANT PLACED IT IN AN EMPTY METAL ICE BUCKET AND PLACED IT ON THE FLOOR. FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED THE PURSER AND COCKPIT WHILE I TOOK THE HALON EXTINGUISHER FROM THE STOWAGE LOCATION (101) AT DOOR 1L AND PROCEEDED TO FIGHT THE FIRE. ON DISCHARGING THE HALON 1211; WE WERE SHOCKED TO SEE A CLEAR LIQUID DISCHARGE FROM THE EXTINGUISHER. (NO POWDER.) THE ADAPTER WAS COVERED IN LIQUID AND BUBBLED FOR A WHILE. WE DID NOT FEEL THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO USE A SECOND EXTINGUISHER AS THE FIRE AND SMOKE HAD CEASED. I AM GREATLY CONCERNED THAT IF IT WAS A COCKPIT FIRE OR A MORE SEVERE FIRE THAT THIS HALON EXTINGUISHER WOULD HAVE CAUSED FURTHER ISSUES; IE; WET LIQUID ON ELECTRICAL FIRE.

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.

A flight attendant reports a passenger experiences an overheating and smoking laptop power adapter. Flight attendant uses a halon extinguisher on the adapter; but the extinguisher is charged with liquid instead of halon.