Woman burned after headphones explode while she slept on flight
A sleeping passenger on a flight from Beijing, China, to Melbourne, Australia, got a rude awakening on Wednesday after the battery-powered headphones she was wearing exploded mid-flight.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau issued a statement on Monday detailing the horrific scene.
About two hours into the flight, the sleeping passenger reportedly began to feel uncomfortably hot, right before hearing a loud explosion.
"As I went to turn around I felt burning on my face," she told the bureau. "I just grabbed my face which caused the headphones to go around my neck. I continued to feel burning so I grabbed them off and threw them on the floor. They were sparking and had small amounts of fire."
See photos of the injury:
Luckily, stewards were quick to rush to the woman's aid.
"As I went to stamp my foot on them the flight attendants were already there with a bucket of water to pour on them," the victim said. "They put them into the bucket at the rear of the plane."
According to the bureau, the battery and battery cover of the headphones were so hot that they melted onto the floor of the plane.
Unfortunately, passengers had to endure the smell of burnt hair and plastic for the rest of the flight.
The Bureau issued a general warning about bringing battery-powered devices on flights, although they did not specify the exact brand of the headphones that caused the accident.
Some safety guidelines they provided are:
Batteries should be kept in an approved stowage, unless in use
Spare batteries must be in your carry-on baggage NOT checked baggage
If a passenger's smart phone or other device has fallen into the seat gap, locate their device before moving powered seats
If a passenger cannot locate their device, they should refrain from moving their seat and immediately contact a cabin crew member.
