Key takeaways:
- American Airlines Flight 2398 landed safely at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport after reports of smoke from a passenger’s laptop during landing.
- One passenger was treated and released at the airport; the pilot told air traffic controllers that about four to five passengers may have been burned.
- FAA data cited by the outlets showed dozens of lithium battery incidents on flights this year, with CBS News reporting at least 56 and the BBC reporting 58 verified incidents.
A passenger’s laptop caught fire on an American Airlines flight from Atlanta to Dallas on Friday, prompting the crew to contain smoke from the device as the plane landed and leading to medical treatment for one passenger at the airport.
American Airlines Flight 2398 landed safely at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport after the incident, the airline said. The flight had 133 people on board, according to the pilot’s report to air traffic controllers in audio obtained by CBS News and cited by the BBC.
“Cabin fire in the back of the airplane,” the pilot said in the air traffic control audio. “The flight attendants are trying to put it out now.”
The pilot later reported that the device had been contained. “I think we have about four to five passengers that were burned by the laptop,” the pilot said. “The laptop is contained about mid-aircraft.”
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport said one passenger was treated and released after the aircraft landed. The BBC reported that the passenger received medical attention on site. After landing, the aircraft taxied to the gate, where emergency personnel met it as part of standard procedure, the BBC reported.
American Airlines said the flight landed safely “after reports of smoke from a customer’s device during landing.” The airline added, “We thank our crew for their professionalism and swift response to quickly contain the device.”
CBS News said it had contacted the Federal Aviation Administration for comment.
The incident drew attention to the risks posed by lithium batteries used in laptops, cellphones and other portable electronic devices. The FAA warns that lithium batteries can overheat because of a process known as thermal runaway.
“Thermal runaway can occur without warning as a result of various factors, including if the battery is damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged, or improperly packed,” the FAA says in an advisory.
The FAA places size limits on lithium batteries carried on flights because of those risks. The BBC reported that the regulator says lithium batteries must be stowed in carry-on baggage only.
FAA data cited by the outlets showed dozens of lithium battery incidents on aircraft this year involving smoke, fire or overheating. CBS News reported that there have been at least 56 such incidents so far this year, while the BBC reported that the FAA had recorded 58 verified lithium battery air incidents involving smoke, fire or extreme heat.
The BBC also reported that over the past 20 years, battery packs accounted for the highest number of such incidents, and that 84 cases were related to laptops.
Similar incidents have affected other flights this year. In February, an Alaska Airlines flight bound for Wichita, Kansas, returned to Seattle after a passenger’s power bank overheated and caught fire, CBS News reported. In May, a UK-bound EasyJet flight from Egypt was diverted to Rome after a power bank was found charging in a passenger’s luggage in the aircraft hold, according to the BBC. That flight was rescheduled for the next day.
The BBC also reported that the UK Civil Aviation Authority has said power banks are causing a growing number of serious issues on flights worldwide and has urged more awareness because portable chargers carry “serious risks” of overheating or catching fire.
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