New Note 7 alert as ‘safe’ model catches fire on plane
Samsung is again investigating the safety of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after reports a newly ‘fixed’ version of the phone caught fire on an aircraft.
A Southwest Airlines plane due to fly from Louisville, Kentucky, to Baltimore, Maryland, was evacuated before take-off yesterday.
The Note 7 was recalled last month following several reports of the device catching fire and the company said it had fixed the problem and has issued new versions of the phone.
Following yesterday’s incident, Samsung said: "We are working with the authorities and Southwest now to recover the device and confirm the cause.
"Once we have examined the device we will have more information to share."
A Southwest Airlines spokesperson told the BBC: "A customer reported smoke emitting from an electronic device. All customers and crew deplaned safely via the main cabin door."
The phone owner said he bought the device on September 21 and that it had a black square icon on its packaging, showing the phone was a replacement model.
In accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advice, the device was powered down, not charged, and was not packed into hold luggage.
It began to overheat in the owner’s pocket, emitting a ‘thick grey-green angry smoke’.
The FAA has not said whether it will revise its advice following the incident.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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