A replaced Samsung Galaxy Note7 reportedly caught fire on a US flight on Wednesday. The latest incident comes weeks after Samsung said it had replaced over half of the recalled Note7 devices in the US.
The incident took place on a Southwest Airlines Co flight to Baltimore from Louisville, Kentucky in the US before the it went airborne. The phone belonged to Indiana passenger Brian Green told The Verge that the Note7 was replaced by AT&T on Sept. 21 and its box had a black square and green battery icon to indicate it was safe. According to Green, he had powered down the device at the request of the crew and put it in his pocket when it began smoking.
Samsung said in a statement,
Until we are able to retrieve the device, we cannot confirm that this incident involves the new Note 7. 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.
It is surprising to see that the incident occurred on the replaced Galaxy Note7. In case of India, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has lifted the ban on using the latest Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in flights.