Samsung Electronics is mired in another round of controversy after a US airliner was forced to evacuate its passengers and crew before taking off Wednesday from a Louisville airport after smoke was detected from a replacement Samsung smartphone, according to reports Thursday.

The Southwest Airlines jet was getting ready to take off from a Louisville airport when the smoke was detected coming from one of the passenger’s Galaxy Note 7.


The owner of the phone, Brian Green, told local media his device started to smoke after he powered it down in the cabin. The phone was a replacement of one recalled last month, he said.

Samsung’s US office, however, said it could not confirm which device it was before investigating the case. In a statement, it said it is working with authorities to recover the device.

Officials from the carrier and the federal aviation safety agency declined to comment, according to local media.

A Samsung official in Seoul told The Korea Herald that its US office will be handling the case for now.

Though not confirmed, the incident further complicates safety concerns for Samsung, despite its efforts in restoring the customer loyalty by implementing a worldwide recall plan.

The South Korean electronics giant recalled the device last month after a series of explosion cases reported, due to battery overheating. The new replacement has no battery issue and is safe to use, it said.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)