A Southwest flight from Louisville to Baltimore was evacuated at the gate due to a smoking Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. All passengers and crew exited the plane through the main cabin door, and no injuries were reported.
What’s most concerning is that the phone was a replacement Galaxy Note 7, one deemed safe by Samsung. Brian Green, the owner of the Note 7, said he powered down the phone as requested by the flight crew and placed it in his pocket when it began smoking. He then dropped it on the floor of the plane and a grey-green smoke started to pour out of the device. He and his friend then went back to retrieve personal belongings and said the phone had burned through the carpet and scorched the subfloor of the plane.
Green also noted that his phone was at 80% battery capacity when the incident occurred and said he only used a wireless charger since receiving the device.
When the phone’s IMEI (serial number) was run through Samsung’s recall eligibility checker, a message returned saying that Green’s Galaxy Note 7 was not affected by the recall and was considered safe.
Currently, Green’s Note 7 is in the hands of the Louisville Fire Department’s arson unit for investigation. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is opening a case into the incident and Samsung is working with the authorities and Southwest to confirm the cause. Green has already replaced the device with an iPhone 7.
Source: The Verge
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