A plane in the Midwestern state of Kentucky had to be evacuated Wednesday after a new Samsung phone reportedly caught fire prior to take off.
The new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device was produced after a recent mass recall and was deemed as safe by the company.
In a statement, Samsung said it was working with authorities and the flight operator Southwest to obtain the defective device and determine what caused the problem.
"Once we have examined the device we will have more information to share,” the company said in a statement.
Sarah Green told The Courier-Journal of Louisville the phone belonged to her husband, Brian. Green said the phone was turned off as it started smoking and making popping noises while the plane was still waiting to leave the gate.
In September, Samsung agreed to undertake a massive recall of Galaxy Note 7 phones after receiving dozens of reports of batteries overheating.
Green said her husband’s phone had been recalled and he received his new phone two weeks ago as a replacement, but Samsung said in a statement it had yet to confirm the model of the phone.
Many airlines have started warning passengers not to use the Samsung phones while on their flight or stow them in checked luggage because of the smoke issues.
