Replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Catches Fire on a Southwest Plane

A replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 caught fire on Southwest Airlines flight 944 from Louisville to Baltimore this morning while the plane was still at the gate, reports The Verge. All passengers and crew were evacuated from the plane and no injuries were reported.

The incident is especially troublesome because the phone was a replacement device following Samsung's recall of the Note 7 due to an exploding battery.

The Verge spoke to Brian Green, owner of the Note 7, on the phone earlier today and he confirmed that he had picked up the new phone at an AT&T store on September 21st. A photograph of the box shows the black square symbol that indicates a replacement Note 7 and Green said it had a green battery icon.


Green powered down his phone as requested by the flight crew and put it away in his pocket. When he noticed the phone was smoking he dropped it on the ground. A “thick grey-green angry smoke” was pouring out of the smartphone.

When a colleague returned to the plane to gather some belongings the phone had burned through the carpet and scorched the subfloor of the plane.

Green says the Note 7 was charged to about 80% and he had only used a wireless charger since getting the device.

Currently, the phone is being looked at by the Louisville Fire Department arson unit. Samsung has yet to comment about the incident.


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