MIDAIR THREAT

Battery fires in personal electronics devices can be scary . But if a battery ignites on a plane , the risks are much greater . With more people traveling with an assortment of portable electronics - sometimes a plane has more devices than passengers - fires are occurring on airlines with increasing frequency . More than half of the 22 battery fires in the cabin of passengers plane since 1999 have been in the last three years. One air safety expert suggested that these devices might be the last unrestricted fire hazard people can bring on airplanes .

The federal aviation administration along with the pipeline and hazardous material safety administration issued special advisories to airlines about yet another gadget : the credit card readers that many have began to issue to flight attendants to ring up sales of food , drinks and other amenities . While airlines have used portable credit card readers for several years , the FAA said earlier this month that they needed approval from the agency's hazardous materials division . Like the majority of hand-held consumer electronic devices , the readers are powered by rechargable batteries , which the government consider hazardous .
While no fire from credit card readers have been reported , the list of spontaneous combustion events with other devices read like a thriller. Last month , a portable DVD player was dropped on an american airlines flight , causing a fire . In march 2008 , a united airlines employee placed a flashlight in the storage compartment of a boeing 757 at the denver airport . A report said the flashlight exploded "like gunshots," turning the on-off switch into a projectile.
In 2004 , an ABC news camera exploded on a plane being used by presidential candidate John Edwards . A seat caught fire , causing an emergency return to the airport . Even more events go unreported authorities said.