- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 04:07 05:30 12:18 15:42 19:01 20:24
The UPS Boeing 747-400 caught fire shortly after takeoff from Dubai and crashed on September 3. (FILE)
US aviation authorities warned on Friday of the risks posed by lithium batteries on board aircraft, saying they may have played a role in the crash of a US cargo plane in the UAE last month.
The United Parcel Service Boeing 747-400 caught fire shortly after takeoff from Dubai and crashed, killing its two crew members, on September 3.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the crash was still under investigation and the cause has not been determined.
"We are aware, however, that the plane's cargo did include large quantities of lithium batteries and believe it prudent to advise operators of that fact," it said.
In a safety alert for operators, the agency said the batteries are "highly flammable and capable of ignition" when they are exposed to high temperatures and existing shipping containers are not capable of resisting a lithium fire.
"In a fire situation, the air temperature in a cargo compartment fire may be above the auto-ignition temperature of lithium," it said.
"For this reason, batteries that are not involved in an initial fire may ignite and propagate, thus creating the risk of a catastrophic event."
It recommended that customers be requested to identify bulk shipments of lithium batteries, and that when feasible they be stowed in cargo compartments where alternative fire suppression is available.
It said the recommendations did not apply to lithium batteries carried by passengers and crew members.
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.