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Smoldering new Samsung phone forces plane evacuation in Kentucky

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  • ASSOCIATED PRESS

    A color blending feature of the Galaxy Note 7 was demonstrated in New York on July 28. An overheated Samsung device created smoke that caused a plane to be evacuated at Louisville International Airport today, an official said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. » An overheated Samsung device created smoke that caused a plane to be evacuated at Louisville International Airport on today, an official said.

The smoke prompted Southwest Airlines to evacuate the plane before it departed for Baltimore, Louisville Metro Arson Capt. Kevin Fletcher told news outlets.

A total of 75 passengers and crew were evacuated from the flight, and no one was injured, said airport authority spokeswoman Natalie Chaudoin.

Fletcher said there was minor damage to the plane’s carpet where the device was dropped.

U.S. safety regulators announced a formal recall last month of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after a spate of fires led to injuries and property damage.

Sarah Green, of New Albany, Indiana, was quoted by The Courier-Journal as saying that her husband, Brian, told her his Galaxy Note 7 made a popping noise and started smoking after he powered it down. Green said the phone had been replaced about two weeks ago due to the recall.

She said he called her from another person’s phone to tell her what happened.

Fire department Capt. Sal Melendez said the device overheated during the flight crew’s safety demonstration.

Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration took the unusual step of warning passengers not to use or charge the Galaxy Note 7 phones while on board, and not to place them in checked bags.

Southwest warns on its website that passengers with the Samsung device must carry them on the plane instead of checking them in luggage. They should keep the phone turned off and disconnected from power sources, and passengers should make sure that the power switch can’t accidentally be moved to the “on” position.

The advisory does not apply to phones that have a green battery icon, which, according to Samsung, indicates that the phone is a post-recall model.

Samsung said in a statement that the company can’t confirm that the new Note 7 was involved in the incident and is working with authorities to recover the device and confirm the cause.

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    • To be #1 is tough and your products best not goof off. Recently they got some trouble with their washing machine, not to change the subject. Their CEO back in the early 70′ predicted that Samsung will the #1 electronic giant in the industry replacing Matsuishita(Panasonic). Samsung manufacture a myriad electrical gadgets and is a large “Chaebol” However, product quality and diversification can cause the company to become 2nd rate. Remember back when GE and Westinghouse were the giants of the industry?

  • The idiot with the phone should face charges. All the airlines — gate agents, flight attendants – now are asking people, over and over again, NOT to use their Samsung phones. So this person was disobeying instructions given by the flight attendants, and should be charged with that.

    • Twice nothing is still nothing.

      Only the Samsung 7 has issues. All older models, 5, 4, etc are fine, ok to use. You clearly have no clue older models have replaceable batteries, buy them from anyone.

      Samsung 6 battery is not designed for user replacement, has not had batterly issues.

      What a rookie poster.

    • Did you actually read the article? He had powered the phone down when he heard a popping noise and it started to smoke. That person you referred to as an “idiot” was doing exactly what he was supposed to do. So who’s the idiot?

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