FAA advises travelers not to use, charge Samsung Galaxy Note 7 after devices catch fire

Friday, September 9, 2016
FAA asks travelers not to use, charge Samsung Note 7 after devices catch fire
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a warning, advising passengers not to turn on or charge their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on board any planes.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a warning, advising passengers not to turn on or charge their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on board any planes.

In addition to not having the phones on, the FAA asked passengers not to stow the phones in checked baggage. All of this over fears that the device could explode, as many people have turned to social media showing the results of an exploding lithium ion battery inside the phones.

One owner of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 took to YouTube, showing the charred remains of his phone after it caught fire while charging. Another photo shows a Jeep engulfed in flames after one user left their phone charging while the car was on.

In Australia, a businessman said he woke up to flames in his hotel bed. He said the Note spontaneously combusted while charging next to him as he slept.

Last week, Samsung issued a global recall of the large phones after finding that their lithium batteries were causing the issues. They're the same kind of batteries that exploded in hoverboards.

The hoverboard explosions resulted in many injuries and millions of dollars worth of damage earlier this year.

Now that the FAA has asked travelers not to use their Notes, some travelers welcome the warning while others think it's too much.

"I think it's an overreaction, personally. I think the FAA is going a little bit too far the other way," Santa Cruz resident Matt Attard said.