Note 7 Southwest Airlines Incident: Smoke From Replacement Device Prompts FAA Investigation

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have begun investigations into an incident Wednesday, where a Southwest Airlines flight was evacuated after a replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 started emitting smoke. It seems that Samsung has failed to address the problem despite recalling the initial batch of Note 7 smartphones. The company said in a statement in September that over half of Note 7 phones have already been replaced.

The news could not have come at a worse time for Samsung. With competitors' iPhone 7 and Google Pixel creating a buzz in the market, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been left biting the dust.

Sarah, the wife of Brian Green, an Indiana passenger onboard a Louisville-Baltimore flight, told Reuters that the phone started emitting smoke inside a Southwest Airlines plane. She said that Green had the original phone replaced two weeks earlier.

The Galaxy Note 7 handset has become an expensive and embarrassing liability for Samsung by causing a global scandal hurting the company’s image. It has also become a potential danger to customers.

“Until we are able to retrieve the device, we cannot confirm that this incident involves the new Note 7,” a Samsung spokeswoman told TechnoBuffalo via email. “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.”

Not just airlines, even cruise lines and the New York Transit Authority have asked passengers to refrain from using Note 7 handsets while onboard.

Less than a month after the Note 7 launch in August, Samsung decided to recall its Note 7 smartphones. The Daily Mail reported that at least two customers have sued the company for damages. The company has not disclosed the supplier of the smartphone batteries.