Replaced Samsung Galaxy Note7 explodes in U.S. plane
Yet another Note7 exploded, this time on a Southwest Airlines flight. No injuries were reported, and the Note7 was a replaced unit.
Image credit: The Verge, via Brian Green
According to The Verge, a replaced Samsung Galaxy Note7 exploded while on Southwest Airline’s flight 994 yesterday. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the plane, as the flight was still at the gate when the incident happened. There were no injuries reported.
Brian Green, the owner of the unfortunate Note7 unit, said that he powered down his smartphone when requested by the flight crew to do so. When he put the device into his pocket, the Note7 began smoking. Mr. Green then dropped the device on the plane’s carpeted floor as a “thick grey-green angry smoke” was pouring out of it.
After the evacuation, Green’s colleague returned to the plane to take some personal belongings. He noticed that the Note7 had already burned through the carpet, scorching the sub-floor of the plane. Mr. Green added that the phone was at around 80% battery when the incident occurred, and he had only used a wireless charging device for his replaced Note7.
The Verge verified that the Note7 was indeed a replaced unit from the worldwide Samsung Note7 exchange program. (Here’s a quick recap about the whole saga). Mr. Green said that his compromised phone was new, and it was picked up at the U.S. telco’s store on 21st September 2016.
The black box symbol indicates that the phone was a replaced unit that came from Samsung's exchange program.
The appended photographs show the black symbol on the Note7’s box, which indicates that the Note7 is from the new replacement batch. Mr. Green claimed that the phone had a green battery icon. The Verge also took the Note7’s IMEI number and ran it under Samsung’s recall eligibility checker, and they found the site saying that Mr. Green’s Note7 is not affected by the recall. The phone is now in the hands of Louisville Fire Department’s arson unit for investigation. The following is Samsung’s response to the incident:
“Until we are able to retrieve the device, we cannot confirm that this incident involves the new Note7. 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.”
Mr. Green's Note7 was an unaffected device, according to Samsung's eligibility checker.
Mr. Green replaced his Note7 with an iPhone 7.
Source: The Verge
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