‘Safe’ Galaxy Note 7 smokes up airplane cabin

Samsung will have more work to do to explain how a “safe” Note 7 still managed to burn through a plane’s carpet. Image Brian Green

Samsung’s woes just have never seemed to end ever since its Galaxy Note 7s literally started to go up in smoke. And despite the recall and replacement units, a report has surfaced about one of said replacements burning through airplane carpeting.

The alleged “safe” Note 7 was brought on board Southwest Airlines flight 994 by owner Brian Green, which he promptly powered down at the request of the crew. The next thing he knew, the device had started smoking in his pocket and quickly dropped it on the airplane floor, reports The Verge.

A “thick grey-green angry smoke” had started pouring out of the device, said Green. His colleague who went back in the cabin to collect some personal belongings noted that the device had burned through the plane’s carpeting and scorched the subfloor.

Thankfully there were no injuries reported and passengers were able to exit safely via the main cabin door, according to a Southwest Airlines spokesperson that The Verge interviewed.

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Green’s Note 7 was picked up from an AT&T store last Sept. 21. Its packaging had a black square symbol to indicate a replacement Note 7. It also had a green battery icon and was 80% charged when the incident occurred.

Samsung’s website for checking whether a Note 7 should be recalled by checking its IEMI number even gave it a clean bill of health.

Samsung went through a lot of trouble to get its battery-issue-afflicted smartphones out of the market as soon as possible. The CEO for Samsung USA even addressed the public to try and salvage their good name. To have a pronounced “safe” device exhibit the same defect as the recalled batch is a debilitating blow to the company’s already heavily tarnished reputation.  Alfred Bayle

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