United States Department of Transportation
A State of Charge Analysis of Power Banks (38.5 Wh) Shipped by Air
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2025-10-01
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English
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Abstract:UN 3480, lithium-ion batteries (batteries not packed with or contained in equipment) are forbidden on passenger carrying aircraft and cannot exceed a 30% state of charge (SoC) when transported on cargo aircraft. Lithium-ion power banks are included in this requirement. In December 2024, an undeclared package containing three lithium-ion power banks experienced a thermal event. The package had been previously shipped from Florida to Kentucky via aircraft. The package was visibly smoking and had a burn hole in the side of the package. The fire eventually self-extinguished. Members from the FAA's Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (AXH) contacted the FAA's Fire Safety Branch to aid in analysis of the power banks. Five lithium-ion power banks from packages offered by the same shipper were delivered to the FAA's Tech Center, where testing was conducted to determine the as-delivered SoC. Test findings determined that all the power banks that were shipped had a SoC exceeding 90%.
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Main Document Checksum:urn:sha-512:e774d893938fe9cc46359526106ed70ed7261aaf337ef59cf77dc94e93ad39cd3a6f7afadcfa083168c06c2120bbc799f7bfce965957ae3b42cc84e405d4f381
File Language:
English
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