Japan Airlines Seat Fire.

[Jayden Laing]

Found this on the Internet just now....

A Japan Airlines flight bound for Sydney has been forced to turn back after takeoff when a business class passenger seat caught fire, reports say.

The small fire was apparently caused by a cigarette lighter - although the airline said it had not yet identified who it belonged to, according to the Kyodo News and Jiji Press news agencies.

The Boeing 777, carrying 260 passengers and crew members, took off from Narita airport near Tokyo on Saturday morning but turned back shortly after takeoff.

No one was injured in the incident but passengers were forced to stay in Japan overnight, the reports said.

http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newsbu...und-for-sydney

JL771D due in tonight at 7:30pm.

[Sarah C]

Makes you wonder how a cigarette lighter got on board............

[Mick F]

Not up with what is and isn't permitted onboard international flights these days Sarah (because I don't smoke), however under Dangerous Good's regulations in Australia, cigarette lighters are permitted on the person. So if the same rules apply in Japan, then I don't see why a cigarette lighter wouldn't be allowed onboard.

Mick

[D Chan]

as far as I am aware with some airlines and countries they are allowed as personal belongings e.g. in their own pockets.. could be an issue however when sitting or reclining that these lighters then fall between the seat during recline or seat extension etc. and then they could potentially get crushed if they fall out of the person's pocket

[Jarden S]

Also if the lighter get caught between a reclining chair which its movement may switch on the lighter an ignite fabric etc..

[David C]

We must not assume the lighter was bought on by a passenger .

Dave C

[Sarah C]

Exactly David, anyone who boarded the aircraft while it was on the ground might have had it in thier pocket (e.g. cleaner)

[Grant Smith]

In some countries airport security screenings, cigarette lighters will set off the metal detector and require the passenger to place it through the x-ray machine (I can vouch for 2 asian countries and 2 western countries where this takes place and does not take palce - getting the puzzle correct will be a surprise to some)

As for their allowance on board, no country I've visited post 9/11 has prohibited me from carrying said 'offending' item on board...

Why this is so is beyond my expertise...

But naive comments from previous posters points to the notion that A) tobacco is sold post customs and security clearance (in most countries - the exception to this in terms of post security clearance (in my experience, being Singapore) and B) smoking rooms being availed by said smokers post customs and security (again Singapore being the exception in the case of security screening)

Reasonable doubt, anyone?

[Andrew P]

Hong Kong has the rule as allowed


One cigarette lighter or one small packet box of safety matches on one's person;