
FAA Urges Passengers to Not Use Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on Planes - petethomas
http://www.wsj.com/articles/faa-urges-passengers-to-not-use-samsung-galaxy-note-7-on-planes-1473381966
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flashman
Here's the actual release:
[https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsI...](https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=20794)

Might as well just quote it in full:

> In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy
> Note 7 devices, the Federal Aviation Administration strongly advises
> passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not
> to stow them in any checked baggage.

~~~
bdcravens
I wonder why they aren't being banned, the way that hover boards were (though
I believe the fire risk for the Note 7 is only present while charging)

~~~
madaxe_again
Honestly, I've always scratched my head slightly at the fact that one is
allowed to travel with an explosive device, so long as it also functions as a
battery - yet bottled water is _way out_.

It's trivially easy to make a lithium fire at 45,000 feet. Stamp on/bend an
IMR 18450, and you have a torch which will burn through a window. Hell, you
could probably just fold your phone in half - most batteries run the full
height of devices these days.

~~~
r_smart
I don't know about the battery you're referencing but as far as phones go: I
once cooked a Li battery from a Galaxy S5 under a thermostream at 200C
(totally not by accident guys!) and it outgassed a lot, but there was no signs
of fire. The battery was certainly warped and distended, and no doubt it got
hot!

Further, I've seen videos of people piercing phone batteries, and it
outgasses, but there was no fire. Not saying it's impossible, but at least
with phones, it's less likely.

~~~
jschwartzi
Did it still hold a charge after you were done?

~~~
r_smart
I confess I didn't try it. The whole casing had ruptured and was warped /
distended. It wouldn't have even been close to fitting back in the phone.
Also, passing current through it was the furthest thing from my mind. I assure
you, it's not because I was embarrassed by my screwup and trying to clean up
my mess as quickly as possible (plus feeling a little loopy from being gassed
out).

~~~
Filligree
I hope you went to a hospital to get checked out after that. Some of the gases
from cooking li-ion batteries are poisonous, and can cause long-term damage.

Honestly, if you see a li-ion battery on fire, probably the best thing to do
is to _run_. Throw it somewhere not-very-flammable if convenient, but get the
heck out of there. And hold your breath.

~~~
r_smart
I didn't go to the hospital. It was in a large well-ventilated room, so it was
bad, but not awful (mostly could just smell something bad).

And it never actually caught fire. I did however throw it in a chamber we had
fashioned for tests that might explode a battery (which this one was not
supposed to be). One of my co-workers got the worst of it, and I think he
ended up calling out sick the next day. I felt _really_ bad about that.

*edit: Just wanted to add that your advice is still sound. I strongly advise against inhaling that stuff. Better yet, don't cook them, and don't deviate from your procedure just because someone came and asked you for help at precisely that moment.

------
kondro
Australian airlines have just outright banned them.

[http://www.smh.com.au/business/innovation/qantas-jetstar-
vir...](http://www.smh.com.au/business/innovation/qantas-jetstar-virgin-
australia-tiger-airways-ban-samsungs-galaxy-note-7-use-charging-on-
flights-20160909-grcjii.html)

~~~
megablast
Are they banning them from being brought aboard the planes? Because it just
looks like Qantas is stopping them from being charged or used while aboard?

~~~
shavingspiders
I've heard second hand that they're being asked to not use them or charge them
(just flew into Australia).

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bwang29
If I understood this correctly, this is based on a higher (but unknown to
consumers?) chance that the Galaxy Note 7 's battery could explode during
flight and catch fire. Then, what would be considered a chance high enough
that a laptop battery's explosion would not be a concern? Would it be safer to
lock these phones into an explosion-proof box before they onboard the flight?

~~~
leetrout
This is actually my #1 fear in flying in 2016.

Some rough baggage packing under the plane that damages a laptop battery in
the gate checked bag. Every time I fly I watch people gate check bags with
laptops and more even after the announcement to "remove all lithium batteries
& electronics".

I wish more people understood how dangerous this could be and would take 3
minutes to take electronics out and carry them on board with them.

~~~
eggy
Me too. I fly a lot, and the thought of a damaged battery, or somebody leaving
their notebook in sleep mode, packed in a suitcase of flammable clothes with
all of the other luggage gives me anxiety at times.

If I have both laptops with me, I check the heavier one, but take the battery
out and carry it on.

I fly from Hong Kong to the US quite a bit (16 hours), so alternate landing
sites are few and far between. That, and everyone seems to be carrying a
Samsung Galaxy or iPhone from HK.

~~~
revicon
> but take the battery out

obviously not a mac user

~~~
jen729w
Clearly not. Mac users are used to their laptops actually going to sleep when
they shut the lid.

My work HP, however, is regularly scorching hot when I get home as it's been
on in my backpack the whole time despite me shutting the lid and despite the
instruction to 'go to sleep when the lid is closed'. How there's not some sort
of thermal cutoff I do not know, but I know for a fact that there is not.

Edit: by 'regularly' I mean a few times a year. Still far, far too many.

~~~
orthoganol
For the record, this happens a few times a year too with my MacBook Pro.

~~~
the_mitsuhiko
Then you should probably return it. This is not normal behavior.

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sschueller
Now I hope samsung will bring back the removable battery. The only reason I
can still use my note 3 is because I was able to easily replace the battery
with a new one.

In fact all phones should have accessible batteries as the battery is in my
opinion a consumable which will need replacing at some point.

~~~
ddalex
> The only reason I can still use my note 3 is because I was able to easily
> replace the battery with a new one.

that is exactly why you won't see removable batteries in new phones; how else
do you drive the new buy cycle every 2 years? as speed and features, phones
are pretty much 2010-desktops; good enough for what they do so they don't need
replacement on the new hardware generation

~~~
Tepix
I don't think that's the reason. If your battery is dead, it's easy and cheap
to get it replaced nowadays. Not a good enough reason to buy a new phone.

~~~
tammer
It's psychology: people want an upgrade justification, and the threat of a few
days without a phone is enough for most people.

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mrmondo
So thats two models of phones that explode or set themselves on fire, a wall
charger with illegal insulation imported to America, two models phone phones
AND tablets that destroy SDCards likely due to faulty or cheap voltage
regulators and a washing machine that sets houses on fire, not exactly a
stellar record over the last 5-10 years...

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josephcooney
What happens after I send my Note 7 back, and get a new one with the problem
corrected? Will I still be banned on Australian airlines?

~~~
bdcravens
I suspect it will be a few months, and they'll release the ban, based on
numbers from Samsung (replacements as a percentage of initial sales)

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peterwwillis
So what's weird to me is how the FAA is issuing this notice, yet for
hoverboards didn't issue any notice; airlines took it upon themselves to ban
them.

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prklmn
"Urge."??? I think they can do better

~~~
PacketPaul
Like say "pretty please".

