Megatech Recall of Rechargeable Battery Packs for Radio Controlled Airplanes

Megatech Recall of Rechargeable Battery Packs for Radio Controlled Airplanes Recall Alert U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 June 6, 2002 Alert #02-546 CPSC, Megatech Announce Recall of Rechargeable Battery Packs for Radio Controlled Airplanes PRODUCT: Batteries - Megatech of North Bergen, N.J., is voluntarily recalling about 3,000 rechargeable, NiMh battery packs used with certain Megatech radio-controlled airplanes. These battery packs were included with Skyliner model radio-controlled airplanes. They are 7 cell, 8.4V battery packs and are covered in a light green plastic. They measure 1 1/4-inches wide, 3 7/8-inches long, and 1/2-inches thick. Airplanes with the recalled batteries were sold by Hammacher Schlemmer nationwide from December 2000 to March 2001 for a suggested retail price between $224 and $300. The batteries were also sold separately for approximately $36. The batteries were made in China and the battery packs were assembled in Taiwan. PROBLEM: The internal battery cell connections may slip and result in arcing and overheating, posing a fire or thermal burn hazard. INCIDENTS/INJURIES: There have been 2 reports of these batteries overheating and causing localized burns to the interior of automobiles. No injuries have been reported. WHAT TO DO: Consumers should stop using these batteries immediately and contact Megatech toll-free at (888) MEGA-911 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday for information on obtaining a replacement power supply.