B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 604; Flight Crew Type 12750
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Hazardous Material Violation; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Dissipated; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Procedure
Approximately half-way through the boarding process for flight XXXX; ZZZ- ZZZ1; I was informed by the A Flight Attendant; a passenger had boarded and her cellphone (PED) had begun emitting smoke. Flight attendants had asked the passenger to surrender the PED/cellphone and opened a 'containment bag' and placed the PED inside. When Flight Attendant showed me the PED/cellphone in the containment bag; it looked like a normal cellphone in the OFF mode; no scorch marks; no visible damage; no electrical burning (acrid) smell and it was not emitting smoke at that time. Flight attendants informed me the passenger stated the PED/cellphone had been in contact with water while the Passenger was in ZZZ. Flight attendants asked for further guidance on what procedures were required. I quickly referenced and checked my guidance (FOM; IFOM; Ops Binder; AOM) and could find no guidance as to what procedures to take. I did not have the Flight Attendants review/check their manuals for further guidance and/or procedure(s). I did not attempt to contact Dispatch or Chief Pilot in the Operations Center. We followed the guidance; which came with the containment bag and I instructed the flight attendants to continue to monitor the bag throughout the flight and notify me immediately; if the situation began to deteriorate. The return flight was uneventful.Company ZZZ1 Ops Personnel retrieved the containment bag with PED/cellphone and cleared it through Customs/Immigration and I understand it was returned to its owner. I wrote up the used containment bag in the aircraft logbook and informed Company ZZZ1 Maintenance; it needed to be replaced.
The Flight Attendant came up to the cockpit with a cell phone in hand and a containment bag in the other she said the Passenger said her cell phone was hot and had an odor. We looked in the operations binder and FOM for information about a hot phone; but couldn't find anything. The Flight Attendant followed the directions of the containment bag and issue was resolved.
B737-800 flight crew reported a passenger's cell phone overheated emitting smoke was transported in containment bag. Flight crew further reported no procedures available regarding handling of containment bags.