The crew used a fire extinguisher and then placed the phone in a container filled with water in a lavatory, the Indian airline said in its statement. This is for the first of its kind to happen where a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 to catch fire. On examination, the cabin crew identified smoke coming from a bag containing Samsung Note 2 kept in the hat-rack of seat 23C. But, according to Samsung at least, many Note7 customers are opting to stick with the Note7 by choosing replacement devices over full refunds.
Advertisement
“The (regulator’s fresh) advisory may be similar to the Samsung Note 7 advisory, where carrying of the phones in a “switch on” mode will not be allowed”, said a senior DGCA official. Should they decide to carry them, the phones must be switched off, says the directive.
Samsung has confirmed that it has exchanged half of all the Galaxy Note 7 units sold in the United States, less than a week after it started a swap programme for the faulty smartphone.
On September 9, the DGCA had prohibited the use of another smartphone from Samsung, the Galaxy Note 7, on board aircraft due to global safety-related incidents involving the high-end communication device.
The Note 7 phone has been under scrutiny since it was recalled for having batteries that are at risk of catching fire and exploding.
The case was reported inside an aircraft at the time of landing at Chennai airport today, but the name of the carrier could not ascertained immediately.
“We are thankful to passengers for their vigilance and cooperation extended to the crew on board”, the airline said.
“We advise flyers to exercise caution while flying with Samsung Note devices”.
Samsung officials have stated that the company is looking into the matter and that they will stay in touch with authorities during the investigation. The Directorate has summoned Samsung representatives on Monday.
Advertisement
The exchange program appears to have advanced after 500,000 new, non-exploding versions of the Note 7 devices became available in the US on Wednesday.
