A Samsung Galaxy Note 2 caught fire onboard an IndiGo flight travelling from Singapore to Chennai. Thankfully, the fire was contained and the plane was able to land safely. Indigo said in a statement, “IndiGo confirms that a few passengers travelling on 6E-054 flight from Singapore to Chennai noticed the smoke smell in the cabin this morning (September 23, 2016) and immediately alerted the cabin crew on board. The crew quickly identified minor smoke coming from the hat-rack of seat 23 C and simultaneously informed the pilot-in-command who further alerted the ATC of the situation on board.”
Samsung India has issued the following statement, “We are aware of an incident involving one of our devices. At Samsung, customer safety is our highest priority. We are in touch with relevant authorities to gather more information, and are looking into the matter.”
Sadly, the news of Samsung’s phones catching fire is not new. Samsung is already in hot water after several of its new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units started catching fire. The company issued a recall of all the devices sold and said that there was an issue with the battery. The problem is so severe that the US aviation authority, the FAA, advised users not to use or charge the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone during flights. Soon after, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), issued a similar advisory.