A passenger’s laptop caught fire aboard an American Airlines flight as the plane descended toward Dallas, prompting an in-flight emergency before the crew extinguished the blaze and the aircraft landed safely with 133 people aboard.
“Cabin fire in the back of the airplane. The flight attendants are trying to put it out now,” the pilot told air traffic control, according to a recording obtained by CBS News. The pilot later estimated that four or five passengers had suffered burns.
An American Airlines jet
(Photo: Shutterstock)
The crew managed to extinguish the fire and place the laptop in a specialized thermal containment bag designed for burning or overheating electronic devices.
The incident occurred over the weekend aboard American Airlines Flight 2398 from Atlanta to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said the fire originated in the laptop’s battery.
The Airbus A321 landed at about 6:55 p.m. local time and taxied to the gate under its own power, where emergency crews were waiting. The FAA said it was investigating the incident.
Cabin filled with smoke
Passenger Jessica Irgens told CBS News that the laptop began smoking and caught fire about 30 minutes before the flight was due to land. She said smoke quickly spread through the cabin.
Irgens, who was sitting two rows from where the fire broke out, moved toward the front of the aircraft because of the heavy smoke.
She said the laptop’s owner placed the burning computer in the aisle and that one or two passengers who tried to help suffered burns to their hands.
Within about five minutes, flight attendants managed to place the laptop inside a thermal containment bag used to isolate electronic devices and batteries that catch fire, she said.
Despite the pilot’s initial estimate that four or five passengers had been burned, Dallas-Fort Worth airport officials said after the landing that one passenger received medical treatment at the scene and was released.
American Airlines said the aircraft landed safely after the crew received a report of smoke coming from a passenger’s device. The airline thanked its crew for their “professionalism and quick response” in bringing the situation under control.
Lithium batteries pose growing concern
The incident is the latest involving lithium batteries that have caused smoke, overheating or fires aboard aircraft.
According to FAA data, 58 incidents involving lithium batteries aboard passenger flights were recorded from the beginning of 2026 through August. The agency notes that its figures may not include every incident that occurred.
Lithium batteries are widely used in laptops, cellphones and portable chargers. If damaged or defective, they can enter a process known as “thermal runaway,” in which a battery rapidly heats up and can emit smoke or catch fire.
Because of the risk, spare lithium batteries and portable chargers, or power banks, are prohibited in checked baggage and must be carried in the aircraft cabin.
The FAA advises passengers to notify the flight crew immediately if an electronic device becomes unusually hot, expands or swells, begins smoking or catches fire.