BBC News, 8October 2010 Last updated at 20:52 GMT
The USairline regulator has warned carriers shipments of lithium batteries may igniteif exposed to high heat in flight, risking a "catastrophic event".
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| Bulk lithium battery shipments are already banned from passenger aircraft |
TheFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the batteries, widely used inconsumer products, could ignite in a fire, overwhelming suppression systems.
The FAAsaid a US cargo flight that crashed last month near Dubai carried a shipment oflithium batteries.
Thewarning did not apply to batteries carried by passengers, the FAA said.
"Commonmetal shipping containers, pails and drums, are not designed to withstand alithium metal cell fire," the agency warned in a statement, adding nocontainers have been tested or approved to mitigate the risk.
Bulkshipments of the batteries are already banned from passenger aircraft, theagency said.
Theagency said a United Parcel Service flight that crashed near Dubai last monthwas carrying large quantities of lithium batteries.
"Investigationof the crash is still underway, and the cause of the crash has not beendetermined," the agency said. "We... believe it prudent to adviseoperators of that fact."
Dozensof incidents have been recorded in which lithium batteries ignited in flight,but it remains unknown what caused the fires.
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