FAA Warns Pax About Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Phones

The U.S. FAA is warning aircraft passengers not to turn on or charge Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile devices onboard due to multiple cases of lithium-ion battery fires, including a car that reportedly caught fire while the phone was charging. “In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note 7 devices, the [FAA] strongly advises passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage,” said an agency statement issued on September 8.

Samsung has begun a “global replacement program for the Galaxy Note 7 as a precautionary measure due to a battery cell issue.” The company noted that there had been 35 cases of fires globally as of September 1 and that it stopped selling the Galaxy Note 7. Samsung is also working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on a “voluntary corrective action plan to expedite a U.S. recall of the product.”

Consumers have reported that airline crews are advising them before departure not to switch on or charge the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 during flight. India’s Director General of Civil Aviation issued a notice on September 9 echoing the FAA’s warning.

While the risks of flying with lithium-ion-powered devices have long been discussed in the aviation industry and millions of these devices are carried onboard, used frequently and charged in flight, there have been few instances of actual mobile device battery-related fires in flight. AIN has been able to document only a few such cases, and one occurred during taxi after landing. Another was due to crushing by a seat mechanism after a passenger was unable to locate the device. So far there have been no reports specific to Samsung Galaxy Note 7 incidents on board aircraft.

Pilots, business aircraft operators and airlines that are concerned about the risks of lithium-ion-powered devices have a variety of choices of fire-containment systems, including heavily insulated bags with insulated gloves as well as cases. The following are some of the companies that provide such products: AirCare FireSock; Fire Containment Concepts Emergency Fire Containment System; Hot-Stop L (distributed by Baker Aviation); PlaneGard; and ShipitAOG FCB1200.