What was in MH370 cargo?

MH370's cargo list noted that 2.5 tons of electronics, including lithium batteries, walkie-talkies, and accessories, were being carried in the plane.



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A: The bags are scanned for security, not specifically for lithium batteries. If you leave a lithium battery in your bag it will travel with you. It is safer for the battery to be in the cabin so that if a thermal runaway occurs the cabin crew can deal with it.

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It is safe to put it in your checked luggage. When possible, the FAA advises that you cover the positive and negative ends of such batteries with tape. This is just an extra precaution to prevent accidental short-circuiting.

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Despite limited findings, including 41 confirmed debris items, the larger aircraft and its passengers remain missing, leaving much of the MH370 mystery still unresolved.

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MH370: Here's what's been found from jetliner 3 years after it disappeared
  • Plane wing fragment. Where found: Mauritius. ...
  • Flaperon : Where found: Reunion Island. ...
  • Cabin interior panel. Where found: Madagascar. ...
  • Engine cowling. Where found: Mossel Bay, South Africa. ...
  • Main cabin interior panel. ...
  • Horizontal stabilizer. ...
  • Flap track fairing.


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Yet such disappearances are not that uncommon: according to records assembled by the Aviation Safety Network, 100 aircraft have gone missing in flight and never been recovered since 1948.

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In fact, the incidence rate in the U.S. has rocketed up by about 42% since 2018. Since 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), says there is an average of at least one lithium battery catching fire per week on airplanes in U.S. airspace.

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A: The bags are scanned for security, not specifically for lithium batteries. If you leave a lithium battery in your bag it will travel with you. It is safer for the battery to be in the cabin so that if a thermal runaway occurs the cabin crew can deal with it.

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Through a process called X-ray absorption, TSA agents are able to identify lithium-ion batteries and remove them for further inspection. When X-rays pass through a piece of luggage, they create an image on the other side. The TSA agent looks at this image and can tell if there are any suspicious items present.

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Spare (uninstalled) lithium ion and lithium metal batteries, including power banks and cell phone battery charging cases, must be carried in carry-on baggage only. With airline approval, passengers may also carry up to two spare larger lithium ion batteries (101–160 Wh) or lithium metal batteries (2-8 grams).

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The best practice to extinguish the fire is to use either a halon or water-based fire extinguisher.

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Methods include: leaving the batteries in their retail packaging, covering battery terminals with tape, using a battery case, using a battery sleeve in a camera bag, or putting them snugly in a plastic bag or protective pouch.

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Spare (uninstalled) lithium metal batteries and lithium ion batteries, portable rechargers, electronic cigarettes and vaping devices are prohibited in checked baggage. They must be carried with the passenger in carry-on baggage.

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Not only did this confirm the plane was not intact, but modelling of ocean currents concluded that MH370 crashed in the southern Indian Ocean near Western Australia, and ocean currents then transported debris to Africa a year later.

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Several other planes have disappeared in the region including five US bombers that vanished in 1945, but in spite of massive air and sea searches, no trace of the bodies or aircraft was ever found. In 2009 a flight from Rio De Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing 228 passengers and crew.

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Lithium batteries can overheat and ignite under certain conditions, posing a fire hazard on aircraft. These fires can be challenging to extinguish and may cause severe damage to the airplane and its passengers.

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