Narrative:

Checked bag catches fire during boarding; the loadmaster informed us that a ramper had removed a checked bag that 'was on fire.' first officer (I was on the phone at the moment) asked to have the passenger identified and to verify if he had any more check luggage or carry-on baggage. The passenger was asked by the ground security coordination if he knew of anything in his bag that may have cause the fire. He answered 'no.' the ground security coordination informed the passenger of her intentions to remove his entire checked luggage from the flight and leave it behind. The passenger agreed without any hesitation or argument whatsoever. He indicated that he would retrieve it on his way back. We later discovered that the passenger had only a one-way ticket. The local fire department; local airport police; station ground security; operations manager and the flight's dispatcher were involved; along with the flight crew; in the decision making process of this event. We all agreed that if the passenger was to be re-screened with all his personal baggage and subsequently cleared by the tsa for re-boarding; we would allow him to continue. While this was on-going just outside of the aircraft door in the jetbridge; I made a PA announcement to the 144 passenger on-board our flight to inform them the reason of our delay. Shortly after this; I went to the jetway to find out more information and was met by the ground security coordination telling me that the passenger voluntarily agreed to be removed from this flight and that he would fly on another day. The facts surrounding this event is what makes it quite different and in my view; suspect. The passenger reactions are the main reason for this report (not the bag on fire). Passenger immediately agrees to leave his checked bags behind. He didn't know what could have caused the fire in his bag (it was later determined by the fire department that it was a battery pack for a psp handheld battery operated video game); along with a bundle of wires/cables. A one-way ticket. He agrees to not delay the flight any further and decides to fly a different day without anyone asking him to. As first officer pointed out; had we left the gate on-time; we would have been airborne when this bag ignited. Kind of weird that being late was what saved the day. The obvious questions: who was this individual? Were his actions intentional? Why was his behavior so abnormal? An alert ramper saw the bag in flames. He saved the day. Battery packs; especially lithium batteries are very risky and new regulations should be put in place. The only complaint that I have is not being able to talk to corporate security. I know it was late on a sunday; but a security risk should be guaranteed a response from corporate security. I indicated to the operations manager that I would like to talk to them; I provided my cell number but nobody call.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BATTERY FIRE IN CHECKED BAGGAGE AND UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR BY ITS OWNER PRIOR TO GATE DEP CONCERNS CAPT OF AN AIRBUS ACFT. IGNITION CAUSED BY LITHIUM BATTERY PACK FOR VIDEO GAME.

Narrative: CHECKED BAG CATCHES FIRE DURING BOARDING; THE LOADMASTER INFORMED US THAT A RAMPER HAD REMOVED A CHECKED BAG THAT 'WAS ON FIRE.' FIRST OFFICER (I WAS ON THE PHONE AT THE MOMENT) ASKED TO HAVE THE PAX IDENTIFIED AND TO VERIFY IF HE HAD ANY MORE CHECK LUGGAGE OR CARRY-ON BAGGAGE. THE PAX WAS ASKED BY THE GND SECURITY COORD IF HE KNEW OF ANYTHING IN HIS BAG THAT MAY HAVE CAUSE THE FIRE. HE ANSWERED 'NO.' THE GND SECURITY COORD INFORMED THE PAX OF HER INTENTIONS TO REMOVE HIS ENTIRE CHECKED LUGGAGE FROM THE FLIGHT AND LEAVE IT BEHIND. THE PAX AGREED WITHOUT ANY HESITATION OR ARGUMENT WHATSOEVER. HE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD RETRIEVE IT ON HIS WAY BACK. WE LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE PAX HAD ONLY A ONE-WAY TICKET. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT; LOCAL AIRPORT POLICE; STATION GND SECURITY; OPS MANAGER AND THE FLIGHT'S DISPATCHER WERE INVOLVED; ALONG WITH THE FLIGHT CREW; IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS OF THIS EVENT. WE ALL AGREED THAT IF THE PASSENGER WAS TO BE RE-SCREENED WITH ALL HIS PERSONAL BAGGAGE AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLEARED BY THE TSA FOR RE-BOARDING; WE WOULD ALLOW HIM TO CONTINUE. WHILE THIS WAS ON-GOING JUST OUTSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT DOOR IN THE JETBRIDGE; I MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE 144 PAX ON-BOARD OUR FLIGHT TO INFORM THEM THE REASON OF OUR DELAY. SHORTLY AFTER THIS; I WENT TO THE JETWAY TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION AND WAS MET BY THE GND SECURITY COORD TELLING ME THAT THE PASSENGER VOLUNTARILY AGREED TO BE REMOVED FROM THIS FLIGHT AND THAT HE WOULD FLY ON ANOTHER DAY. THE FACTS SURROUNDING THIS EVENT IS WHAT MAKES IT QUITE DIFFERENT AND IN MY VIEW; SUSPECT. THE PASSENGER REACTIONS ARE THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS REPORT (NOT THE BAG ON FIRE). PASSENGER IMMEDIATELY AGREES TO LEAVE HIS CHECKED BAGS BEHIND. HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FIRE IN HIS BAG (IT WAS LATER DETERMINED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT IT WAS A BATTERY PACK FOR A PSP HANDHELD BATTERY OPERATED VIDEO GAME); ALONG WITH A BUNDLE OF WIRES/CABLES. A ONE-WAY TICKET. HE AGREES TO NOT DELAY THE FLIGHT ANY FURTHER AND DECIDES TO FLY A DIFFERENT DAY WITHOUT ANYONE ASKING HIM TO. AS FO POINTED OUT; HAD WE LEFT THE GATE ON-TIME; WE WOULD HAVE BEEN AIRBORNE WHEN THIS BAG IGNITED. KIND OF WEIRD THAT BEING LATE WAS WHAT SAVED THE DAY. THE OBVIOUS QUESTIONS: WHO WAS THIS INDIVIDUAL? WERE HIS ACTIONS INTENTIONAL? WHY WAS HIS BEHAVIOR SO ABNORMAL? AN ALERT RAMPER SAW THE BAG IN FLAMES. HE SAVED THE DAY. BATTERY PACKS; ESPECIALLY LITHIUM BATTERIES ARE VERY RISKY AND NEW REGULATIONS SHOULD BE PUT IN PLACE. THE ONLY COMPLAINT THAT I HAVE IS NOT BEING ABLE TO TALK TO CORPORATE SECURITY. I KNOW IT WAS LATE ON A SUNDAY; BUT A SECURITY RISK SHOULD BE GUARANTEED A RESPONSE FROM CORPORATE SECURITY. I INDICATED TO THE OPS MANAGER THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO THEM; I PROVIDED MY CELL NUMBER BUT NOBODY CALL.

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.