A Samsung Note 2 smartphone caught fire and emitted fumes in the overhead storage compartment inside the cabin of a Chennai-bound IndiGo flight in mid air on Friday, causing a scare among the 175 passengers on board the flight from Songapore. Inside one of the bags, a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was discovered with sparks and smoke.
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Thankfully there was little to no damage and a fire extinguisher was more than enough to stop the phone from smoking further, and the plane landed without any incident. Samsung company officials have been summoned by the DGCA on Monday.
India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), will send an advisory to airlines warning passengers to keep all Samsung Note smartphones switched off during flights or avoid carrying the phones on commercial jets altogether, a spokesman said.
The passengers noticed the smoke smell in the cabin and immediately alerted the cabin crew on board, IndiGo said.
The crew quickly identified minor smoke coming from the hat-rack of seat 23 c and simultaneously informed the pilot-in-command. The incident took place when the flight was landing at the Chennai airport, creating a panic among all 75 passengers.
The smartphone will be further examined by the concerned departments, the airline added. IndiGo has voluntarily informed the DGCA, the airline said.
52% of people who answered the survey said they will remain loyal to the brand because they like the phones’ style, 44% of them enjoy customization options, 39% battery life, 35% cost and 28% dislike other smartphone brands. These phones will have to be switched off if it is being carried on person or as part of the hand-baggage. “The phone was kept in the overhead bin”.
After the Note 7 incidents, Samsung investigated the problem and found that the rechargeable batteries inside the phones were at fault.
Indian civil aviation regulator has advised passengers who own a unit of the Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone not to use the device on flights.
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Samsung electronics has confirmed that approximately half a million Galaxy Note 7 handsets – affected by a potential battery-explosion issue – have been replaced in the US.
