Safety warning issued after headphones explode on Australian flight

Australian air safety authorities are issuing a warning about battery-operated devices on planes, after a woman's headphones exploded mid-flight.

The injuries sustained from the exploding headphones

The injuries sustained from the exploding headphones Source: Australian Transport Safety Bureau

A woman has suffered facial injuries after her battery-operated headphones exploded during a flight from Beijing to Melbourne last month.

Two hours into the flight the woman heard a loud explosion and felt burning on her face, so she threw her headphones to the floor.

"They were sparking and had small amounts of fire," the woman said in an Australian Transport Safety Bureau statement, released on Wednesday.

"As I went to stamp my foot on them the flight attendants were already there with a bucket of water to pour on them".

"They were sparking and had small amounts of fire," the woman said in an Australian Transport Safety Bureau statement, released on Wednesday.

Smoke and the smell of melted plastic, burnt hair and electronics filled the cabin for the rest of the journey to Melbourne.

"People were coughing and choking the entire way home," one passenger said in the ATSB statement.

The ATSB said the batteries likely caught fire.

The body is reminding passengers to put batteries in carry-on baggage, and only store battery-powered devices in approved areas.

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Published 15 March 2017 11:00am
Updated 15 March 2017 12:16pm
Source: AAP

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