Airlines ground fire-prone Samsung smartphones

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration put an emergency order in place that bans all Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone devices from air transportation in the United States.

   The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration put in place an emergency order Oct. 15 banning all Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone devices from air transportation in the United States.
   The order states that individuals who own these phones may not bring them on board on their person, in a carry-on and checked baggage, or ship them as air cargo.
   “We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a statement. “We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk.”
   “If passengers attempt to travel by air with their Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices, they will be denied boarding,” the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) warned.
   “Passengers who attempt to evade the ban by packing their phone in checked luggage are increasing the risk of a catastrophic incident. Anyone violating the ban may be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines,” DOT added.
   Many airlines now have on board specially designed fire containment bags to reduce the danger of mid-flight lithium-ion battery fires.
   The bright red HOT-STOP ‘L’ bags are designed to hold electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops if they overheat or catch fire. The bags can be closed with Velcro and heavy-duty zippers and able to withstand temperatures up to 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit.
   “Lithium-ion battery fires can be particularly dangerous because they burn at extremely hot temperatures. On some devices with larger batteries, even though the initial flames may have subsided, an adjacent battery cell could still ignite minutes later. By placing the devices inside the battery containment bag, the risk of injury or damage from an additional fire is greatly reduced,” explained Dana Floyd, Alaska Air’s director of flight safety.