Recalled Note7s Need to Be Powered Down In-Flight, Says DOT ‘Safety Advisory’

Passengers or crew who want to bring recalled Samsung Galaxy Note7s aboard commercial aircraft need to power down the devices and disconnect them from “any charging equipment,” the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) said in a “safety advisory” notice published in Thursday’s Federal Register. Users also need to “disable all applications that could inadvertently activate the phone,” protect the Note7's power switch against “unintentional activation” and avoid packing the phone in checked baggage, said the notice, which PHMSA said it issued “in conjunction with” the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Sept. 15 recall (see 1609150069). Cargo shipments of recalled Note7s require a PHSMA permit, the notice said. PHSMA's safety advisory mirrored a "safety alert for operators" directive that the Federal Aviation Administration released the day after CPSC's recall notice.