Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

The FAA is warning operators to follow the agency’s guidance on containing fires involving portable electronic devices, rather than conflicting instructions that might accompany a fire containment kit or bag. In an Information for Operators (<a href="https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/info/all_infos/media/2017/InFO17021.pdf">InFO 17021</a>), the agency noted some manufacturers of fire containment kits or bags have advertised that their products are “FAA certified, successfully tested by the FAA, or meet FAA standards.” But, the FAA added, “There are no FAA test standards for these containment products, nor is there a mechanism in place for the approval of these products.”

 


The agency has released a Safety Alert for Operators (<a href="https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/media/2009/SAFO09013.pdf" target="_blank">SAF0 0913</a>, "Fighting Fires Caused by Lithium Type Batteries in Portable Electronic Devices") and Advisory Circulars (<a href="http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_20-42D.pdf" target="_blank">AC 20-42D</a>, "Hand Fire Extinguishers for use in Aircraft"; and <a href="http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_120-80A.pdf" target="_blank">AC 120-80A</a>, "In-flight Fires") outlining specific procedures for extinguishing and cooling a device that might have caught fire.

 


“While some manufacturers of certain containment bags may recommend that a crewmember move a burning, smoking, or hot device associated with a lithium battery, the FAA continues to recommend that a crewmember should not move any device that is burning, smoking, or exhibiting any evidence of overheating until that device has been thoroughly cooled,” the agency said, noting it believes that regardless of how effective a containment kit might be, the highest risk could lie in the transfer of a burning battery to the containment kit.

 


The FAA recommends that operators incorporate training drills to reinforce proper handling of lithium battery-related heat, smoke, or fire events. Guidance calls for applying water or nonflammable aqueous substance for at least 15 minutes after a fire has been extinguished or smoke has dissipated. The cooled device may then be moved to a receptacle or containment product, the agency said.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

FAA Cautions Against Fire Kit Instructions on PED Fires

An FAA InFO advises operators to follow agency advice on lithium battery fires, fearing that moving  burning batteries to a containment bag poses risks.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

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NTSB Vice Chair Michael Graham To Retire October 2

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News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

UK CAA concerned over rise in unstable approaches continuing to land

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News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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Charlotte Bailey

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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