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Here's the actual release: https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=20794 https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsI...

Here's the actual release: https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=20794 https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsI... 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 10y ago
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)
- mveety 10y ago
  Risk might not be great enough. They're balancing convenience and safety. IIRC the hoverboards had a higher risk because of how many cheap ones burst into flames and people didn't want to use them in flight so it wouldn't bother them if they didn't have them.
  - userbinator 10y ago
    The "hoverboards" have a much bigger battery, with far more stored energy, and are also designed such that they can release that energy more quickly since the application requires it. A typical phone has around 10-15Wh capacity, hoverboards are in the 150-100Wh range, and laptop batteries are usually <100Wh; these are also cells which are designed more for long low-current discharges.
    - dsfyu404ed 10y ago
      Once a battery starts releasing energy "more quickly than intended" it's only going to get quicker until it runs out of energy.
- madaxe_again 10y ago
  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.
  - duncan_bayne 10y ago
    Sure. But what is the maximum possible damage from a burning battery? Even if you managed to burn through a window, that'd be highly unlikely to down a modern airliner.
    - coldtea 10y ago
      >* But what is the maximum possible damage from a burning battery?* As opposed to the one from bottled water?
      - CannisterFlux 10y ago
        Airports around the world must make a fortune selling bottled water. That rule is never going away no matter how stupid it is :-(
        kevinmgranger 10y ago
        I've yet to step foot in an airport that didn't have water fountains, and won't let you take an empty reusable bottle through security. There's no need to buy bottled water.
        cozzyd 10y ago
        I don't remember any fountains in the Warsaw airport.
- tim333 10y ago
  The hover boards were actually quite dangerous, partly because people tend to keep their phones by them when charging but not the boards hence greater fire risk, for example this https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/02/19/hoverboard-fires-are-no-joke-two-kids-almost-died-as-their-house-burned-down/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/02/1...
- 794CD01 10y ago
  It would be unenforceable. You can't make airport staff verify that the passenger is using a Pixel C or Xperia Z4 rather than a Galaxy Note. You'd be lucky if they don't just call them all iPads.
  - abtinf 10y ago
    Unenforceability doesn't seem to block FAA or TSA policy from making other policies..
  - bdcravens 10y ago
    Probably, but it does have to pass through security. I suspect it'd be easy enough to do a closer inspection of items of a certain size?
  - vonmoltke 10y ago
    I'm sitting here in the gates at Newark, and apparently United has already taken it upon themselves to do so.
JoeAltmaier 10y ago
...or at home, or in your car, or anywhere really.
fastball 10y ago
Wasn't it already advised by the FAA not to put anything with a battery in it in checked luggage?

bdcravens 10y ago

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)

mveety 10y ago
Risk might not be great enough. They're balancing convenience and safety. IIRC the hoverboards had a higher risk because of how many cheap ones burst into flames and people didn't want to use them in flight so it wouldn't bother them if they didn't have them.
- userbinator 10y ago
  The "hoverboards" have a much bigger battery, with far more stored energy, and are also designed such that they can release that energy more quickly since the application requires it. A typical phone has around 10-15Wh capacity, hoverboards are in the 150-100Wh range, and laptop batteries are usually <100Wh; these are also cells which are designed more for long low-current discharges.
  - dsfyu404ed 10y ago
    Once a battery starts releasing energy "more quickly than intended" it's only going to get quicker until it runs out of energy.
madaxe_again 10y ago
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.
- duncan_bayne 10y ago
  Sure. But what is the maximum possible damage from a burning battery? Even if you managed to burn through a window, that'd be highly unlikely to down a modern airliner.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    >* But what is the maximum possible damage from a burning battery?* As opposed to the one from bottled water?
    - CannisterFlux 10y ago
      Airports around the world must make a fortune selling bottled water. That rule is never going away no matter how stupid it is :-(
      - kevinmgranger 10y ago
        I've yet to step foot in an airport that didn't have water fountains, and won't let you take an empty reusable bottle through security. There's no need to buy bottled water.
        cozzyd 10y ago
        I don't remember any fountains in the Warsaw airport.
tim333 10y ago
The hover boards were actually quite dangerous, partly because people tend to keep their phones by them when charging but not the boards hence greater fire risk, for example this https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/02/19/hoverboard-fires-are-no-joke-two-kids-almost-died-as-their-house-burned-down/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/02/1...
794CD01 10y ago
It would be unenforceable. You can't make airport staff verify that the passenger is using a Pixel C or Xperia Z4 rather than a Galaxy Note. You'd be lucky if they don't just call them all iPads.
- abtinf 10y ago
  Unenforceability doesn't seem to block FAA or TSA policy from making other policies..
- bdcravens 10y ago
  Probably, but it does have to pass through security. I suspect it'd be easy enough to do a closer inspection of items of a certain size?
- vonmoltke 10y ago
  I'm sitting here in the gates at Newark, and apparently United has already taken it upon themselves to do so.

JoeAltmaier 10y ago

...or at home, or in your car, or anywhere really.

fastball 10y ago

Wasn't it already advised by the FAA not to put anything with a battery in it in checked luggage?