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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Samsung S6 emits smoke in flight
A model holds a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus handset at a media event in Taipei on Aug. 18 last year. Photo: Wang Yi-hung, Taipei Times
PROBE: Samsung Taiwan said it would cooperate with government agencies to find out what caused one of its smartphones to emit smoke on a China Airlines flight
By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
A Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone belonging to a passenger onboard a China Airlines （中華航空） flight to Taipei on Wednesday night reportedly overheated and emitted smoke, the Civil Aeronautics Administration and Aviation Safety Council said yesterday, adding that they are investigating the incident.
Flight CI027 took off from Palau at 7pm local time and landed in Taipei at 9:52pm, the airline said.
A foreign passenger’s Samsung S6 smartphone started emitting smoke as the aircraft was crossing Philippine airspace, it said.
The company said that cabin crew followed standard procedure, using a fire extinguisher on the device and placing it in an ice bucket.
China Airlines said it reported the incident to the administration and the council, adding that it would cooperate with the two aviation authorities to investigate the incident.
The council and the administration said they received the company’s report at about 9pm on Wednesday.
Council Executive Director Thomas Wang （王興中） said that the agency’s investigators took the plane’s flight recorder and the smartphone after it landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, adding that they also interviewed the owner of the smartphone and flight attendants.
A preliminary investigation shows that the flight attendants handled the situation properly, Wang said.
Wang said that the council would categorize the event as an “occurrence,” adding that the investigation would be completed within 30 days.
A report on the details of the occurrence would be published within four months, and a comprehensive analysis on the occurrence and safety recommendations would be published within a year, Wang said.
Administration Flight Standards Division Director Clark Lin （林俊良） said that the agency would investigate how the phone was used before the incident, adding that it will make safety suggestions to airlines after the investigation is completed.
Details of the investigation would also be shared with international aviation safety seminars, as lithium batteries used in mobile devices are identified as a potential safety risk, Lin said.
Asked if the administration would consider asking passengers not to bring Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphones onboard aircraft or ban their use during flight, Lin said that the decision would have to wait until the investigation is concluded.
Six Taiwanese airlines have banned passengers and cabin crew from bringing Galaxy Note 7 smartphones onboard aircraft or placing them in their checked baggage following multiple in-flight explosions reported around the world.
National Communications Commission spokesperson Wong Po-tsung （翁柏宗） said that it has asked Samsung Taiwan to examine how the passenger used the phone during the flight and whether the phone was being charged when it started emitting smoke.
The South Korean phone manufacturer would also be asked to explain possible causes for the incident to ascertain if it was an isolated case or if the product is flawed, Wong said.
Samsung Taiwan issued a statement after the incident, saying that it will cooperate with government agencies to investigate the incident, adding that it considers the safety of consumers its top priority.
The company also advised customers to use power adapters made by Samsung and avoid compressing or puncturing their smartphones.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
