Aviation Protocol MVP: Lithium Battery Fire in the Cabin

Context

Lithium-ion battery fires (thermal runaway) from passenger electronic devices are among the most critical in-flight emergencies: explosive, toxic and self-sustaining. Airlines cannot practise extinguishing a volatile chemical fire inside a real cabin simulator, yet the correct procedure is counter-intuitive and has to be drilled.

My role

I led the MVP from requirements to acceptance, working in close collaboration with aviation safety subject-matter experts (SMEs).

What I did

• Turned the international checklist logic into an executable drill sequence with the SMEs.
• Thermal assessment: find the source without opening every bin, by reading heat signatures on closed lockers — opening all bins would feed the fire with oxygen.
• Initial suppression: apply the Halon extinguisher through a cracked opening.
• Oxygen starvation: close the bin immediately after discharge. This trains crew to resist the instinct to keep looking at the fire.
• Total containment: secure the device with heat-resistant gloves and submerge it in a water container or cooling bag.
• Had the fire behaviour tuned by the safety experts: leaving the bin open too long or handling the device without cooling triggers re-ignition or an explosion event.

Result

• Logic validated by safety specialists for strictly accurate procedural modelling.
• The MVP met all acceptance criteria and was formally adopted by the airline client — proof that VR is viable for high-risk safety training.

Demo