An emergency issue banning Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on airline flights was issued Friday, October 14, 2016 by the Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, stating that these phones cannot be carried on board, packed in checked bags, or shipped as cargo on flights to, from, or within the United States.
If a passenger is seen with a Note 7 while trying to board an air flight, they will be denied boarding by the air carrier unless and until the passenger rids themselves, their carry-on luggage, and checked baggage, of the device. If trying to evade the ban by packing a Note 7 smartphone in checked luggage, one can be subject to criminal prosecution and fines. If seen with a Samsung Note 7 while on an air flight, the passenger will be asked to turn off anything that may cause it to turn on, power it off, and refrain from charging or using the phone. Passengers currently travelling or planning on travelling with a Note 7 should immediately contact Samsung or their wireless carrier in order to return the phone and arrange for a replacement or refund.
More than 2.5 million Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones have been recalled by Samsung due to a battery manufacturing error. The consumer product safety commission says that there have been 100 reports of batteries in these phones overheating in the United States. One fire erupted on a Southwest Airline flight, and in St. Petersburg, FL, a Note 7 left charging in a Jeep caught on fire, destroying the vehicle.
The Note 7 has a lithium battery. Once overheating starts, it can lead to “thermal runaway,” where temperatures increase to extremely high levels. Water can extinguish the flame, but it cannot always halt thermal runaway, so the flame may reappear. This poses a serious issue; if the battery were to catch on fire on an airplane, it could have catastrophic effects on not only the owner, but on all the passengers aboard the plane. The best way to minimize chances of your lithium battery catching on fire is to charge it a little at a time, versus charging it all at once from 0% to 100%.
These lithium, or Li-ion batteries that catch on fire aren’t only found in Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, however. Lithium batteries are also found in cameras and in other phones such as Apple iPhones. Thus, these devices may also pose a threat to air flight safety as they too have the potential to burst into flames. In order to remedy this, airline passengers and crew are also forbidden from “traveling with lithium cells or batteries or portable electronic devices that are likely to generate a dangerous evolution of heat (DOT).”
While lithium batteries are positive in that they take less time to charge and last longer than alkaline batteries, they are negative in that they can easily catch on fire if overheating occurs or they are charged for extended periods. So, when next charging your lithium battery-powered technology, remember to be cautious. Also, keep in mind that Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Smartphones can no longer be carried on air flights due to the danger that they pose for potentially catching on fire.
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