Panic gripped passengers on a Chennai-bound IndiGo plane on Friday when a high-end Samsung smartphone caught fire mid-air, but the plane made a safe landing.
This is the first incident of a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 phone catching fire on air. The incident on 6E-054 flight from Singapore to Chennai has prompted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ask all airlines to ban the use of this series of smartphones inside planes. Samsung company officials have been summoned by the DGCA on Monday.
On September 9, the DGCA had asked fliers not to use their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones while flying, amid fears that its battery could explode or catch fire. The list will now include the Note 2 series as well.
“Some passengers noticed smoke in the cabin and immediately alerted the cabin crew. The crew quickly spotted smoke coming out from the hat-rack of seat 23 C,” an IndiGo statement said.
The cabin crew immediately informed the pilot-in-command, who further alerted the Air Traffic Control of the situation on board.
“The cabin crew on priority relocated all passengers after observing smoke emanating from a Samsung Note 2 from the baggage (of a passenger) in the overhead bin,” the airline stated.
“The crew discharged the fire extinguisher which is as per the Standard Operating Procedures prescribed by the aircraft manufacturer, and quickly transferred the Samsung Note 2 into a container filled with water in the lavatory,” it added.
The aircraft made a normal landing at the Chennai airport and all passengers were deplaned as per normal procedure.
The smartphone will be further examined by the departments concerned. IndiGo has voluntarily informed the DGCA, the statement said.
Reacting to the incident, a Samsung spokesperson said, “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.”
What they said...
IndiGo statement: The cabin crew observed smoke being emitted from a Samsung Note 2 which was placed in the baggage in the overhead bin. The crew discharged the fire extinguisher and quickly transferred the Samsung Note 2 into a container filled with water in lavatory.
Samsung spokesperson: 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.
Published 23 September 2016, 21:21 IST