A passenger suffered minor injuries after a laptop battery caught fire on board American Airlines flight 2398, an Airbus A321 that was flying from Atlanta to Dallas with 133 people on board.
It all started when a traveler's laptop began to emit a lot of smoke and then caught fire, causing panic among the passengers.
The fire started about 30 minutes before landing, according to passenger Jessica Irgens in a statement to the local press.
Irgens, sitting two rows behind the source of the fire, described the moment: “I saw the smoke first and then everything happened very quickly. He was trying to push it away from himself into the aisle.”
"It was absolutely terrifying," added the witness.
The crew contained the fire with a thermal containment bag while the pilot informed the controllers: "Fire in the cabin, at the back of the plane. The flight attendants are trying to put it out now."
In a second message, he added: "I believe we have between four and five passengers burned by the laptop. The laptop is located roughly in the central area of the plane."
Safe landing and medical attention
The Airbus A321 landed smoothly at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) at 6:55 PM (local time), and taxied to the gate under its own power, where emergency personnel were waiting as per protocol.
Despite the pilot's report of possible burn victims, the airline officially confirmed that only one passenger received medical attention on-site and was discharged.
A spokesperson for American Airlines stated to the BBC: "Flight 2398 landed safely at DFW following reports of smoke coming from a customer's device. We thank our crew for their professionalism and quick response to contain the device."
Irgens described the condition of some passengers: “There were two people with their hands in bags of ice, and they were shaking. They were visibly shaken.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opened an investigation into the incident.
A growing problem in aviation
The phenomenon behind these incidents is known as thermal runaway: a process in which the battery experiences an uncontrollable rise in temperature that releases flammable gases.
The FAA warns that it "can occur without prior notice" due to damage, overheating, exposure to water, overload, or improper packaging.
The FAA had recorded at least 58 incidents related to lithium batteries in 2026 up to the date of their data update, which involved smoke, fire, or extreme heat; in 2025, 93 incidents were recorded.
Since 2006, laptops have been involved in 84 incidents recorded by the FAA.
Just weeks earlier, a Swiss International Air Lines flight from Zurich to New York was forced to divert to Bangor, Maine, after a headphone charging case caught in a first-class seat overheated and began to smoke. That flight carried 208 people, and there were no injuries.
American Airlines has experienced similar incidents in the past. In mid-2024, three people sustained minor injuries during a flight from San Francisco to Miami when a laptop caught fire.
What does the FAA say about battery transport?
FAA regulations state that spare lithium batteries must be transported only in carry-on luggage, never in checked baggage.
Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are limited to 100 Wh per unit without prior approval.
Batteries between 101 and 160 Wh require airline approval, while those exceeding 160 Wh are prohibited on passenger planes.
The FAA's investigation into the incident involving flight 2398 remains open, and its findings could lead to new recommendations for the transport of electronic devices on commercial aircraft.
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