Turn off all Samsung Note devices on planes, aviation authority warns

On Friday morning, another Samsung-related phone incident took place onboard an aircraft carrier, but much to everyone's surprise, it wasn't a Galaxy Note7. 

A Samsung Galaxy Note 2 — released back in 2012 — caught fire mid-air on an IndiGo plane en route to Chennai from Singapore. Passengers noticed smoke in the cabin and notified crew members, who discovered it was coming from a Samsung Note 2 in the overhead bins and extinguished the fire.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 catches fire on a plane in India

Following the incident, the aviation authority in India issued a statement directed to all Samsung Note users: turn off your phones or leave them at home. 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India advised fliers to use caution when onboard an aircraft with any Samsung Note devices. "They should either keep these devices switched off or not travel with them," a DGCA spokesman told the Times of India.

After reports of battery explosions in the Galaxy Note7, Samsung officially recalled the phones worldwide on Sept. 15 and travelers were specifically urged by several Indian airlines not to turn on or charge the devices while aboard an aircraft or pack the phones in checked baggage. 

Though the Galaxy Note 2 incident has not been connected to the exploding Note7 devices, the DGCA plans to issue an advisory to all airlines and has summoned Samsung officials, according to The Hindu.

The advisory will reportedly tell passengers to either avoid using any Galaxy Note smartphones while onboard an aircraft, or ensure they are switched off during flight. 

An official told the publication, "The DGCA has summoned Samsung officials on Monday; Samsung wanted to take away the handset, but we didn't permit. We have asked them to meet us on Monday."

Samsung India didn't provide further details regarding the incident. 

"We are aware of an incident involving one of our devices. At Samsung, customer safety is our highest priority," a spokesperson for Samsung India said in a statement emailed to Mashable India. "We are in touch with relevant authorities to gather more information, and are looking into the matter."

While, Samsung America noted it was aware of the Note 2 situation in India but is currently investigating the cause of the fire. 

"We have been informed about an incident in India involving a Note 2, which uses a replaceable battery and was released in 2012," a spokesperson told Mashable in an email. "We are in touch with local authorities to gather more information and investigate whether there were any external factors involved.”

Mashable has reached out to the DGCA and the FAA for comment and will update this article once we receive a response.