A new development regarding last week’s onboard fire between HNL and PDX shifts the focus to Hawaiian Airlines’ first-class entertainment tablet and crew. The device involved may have been provided by the airline itself rather than a passenger-carried item. The potential involvement of an airline-issued tablet raises questions about the safety of using such devices on flights. The entertainment tablet trend is one that began with the introduction of the Alaska Airlines DigiPlayer decades ago. This situation may now prompt the industry to reconsider the waning practice of distributing tablets to passengers.
The birth of in-flight entertainment tablets.
Using tablets for in-flight entertainment traces back to Alaska Airlines, where a baggage handler named Bill Boyer invented the Digiplayer in the early 2000s. It was a groundbreaking idea at the time, allowing passengers to watch movies and enjoy other entertainment options through a custom tablet instead of requiring the installation of seat-back entertainment screens. The success of Boyer’s innovation spread, influencing other airlines, including Hawaiian Airlines, which Alaska now owns, to adopt similar practices. This began the tablet-based inflight entertainment trend that evolved across the industry.
Interestingly, Bill Boyer later led Hawaii’s Mokulele Airlines, bringing his entrepreneurial journey full circle within the Hawaii airline industry. While his DigiPlayer innovation marked the beginning of tablet-based inflight entertainment, especially in First Class, this practice is far less common today.
Alaska Airlines ended its use of the DigiPlayer in 2015 and has since moved away from entertainment tablets entirely. Recent incidents, such as the fire on HA Flight 26, raises questions about the safety and future of airline-provided tablets. Hawaiian Airlines’ latest Boeing 787 Dreamliners, for example, feature built-in entertainment screens for all passengers. Seat-back screens started in the 1990s and have had on-and-off popularity among airlines.
On-board fire incident details revisited.
Michael and Casey Rebstock, flying first class, noticed smoke emerging from under Michael’s seat during the final 30 minutes of their flight to Portland. Initially thought to be a personal device, it is reported that the fire likely came from a complimentary tablet provided by Hawaiian Airlines for in-flight entertainment. As an electrical engineer, Michael suspects the tablet, left by a previous passenger, was crushed when he adjusted his lie-flat seat, leading to a “thermal runaway” reaction in the lithium-ion battery that caused the fire.
Hawaiian Airlines’ spokesperson stated they are examining whether the device involved was one of their provided tablets.
Was the flight crew’s response time too slow?
The passenger, who had smoke from under his seat, noted that the flight attendants appeared unprepared. According to him, finding a fire extinguisher took about five minutes.
Editorial comment: It is hard to deny the allegations of the passengers who experienced the fire first hand and equally challenging to think that the Hawaiian Airlines’ flight crew could be as inept as is being alleged. We have known many of these people and seen them work for years, and it does strike us as odd.
Eventually, another passenger reportedly used metal tongs obtained from a flight attendant to remove the burning device, according to a witness. Though the crew had available fire containment bags, they reportedly did not use them until after the fire was controlled. This raised concerns about whether the crew was fully trained for such incidents, especially considering the FAA’s guidelines on lithium battery fires.
Enhanced airline fire safety protocols.
The Hawaiian Airlines fire highlights safety concerns about in-flight entertainment devices provided by airlines and passengers’ personal devices. Airlines typically advise that if a device becomes lodged in a chair, passengers should get the help of cabin crew rather than attempting to remove it themselves.
In a recent experience this month, BOH editors we were flying the identical Hawaiian A330 between Papeete and Honolulu. A cabin crew announcement was made specifically asking passengers to seek help from cabin crew if any devices got lost in a seat.
A moment for airline industry reflection.
This incident with Hawaiian Airlines Flight 26, which thankfully resulted in no injuries, serves as a wake-up call for airlines to revisit emergency procedures and for passengers to be mindful with the devices they bring on board.
