Story by Lily Shanagher
A laptop burst into flames on an American Airlines plane in mid-flight, leaving five passengers with burns.
One person required medical treatment after a passenger’s laptop caught fire on the flight, which was carrying 133 passengers from Atlanta, Georgia, to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas on Friday.
The pilot reported the incident to air traffic control, telling staff there was a “cabin fire in the back of the airplane” and that flight attendants were trying to put it out, according to audio obtained by CBS News.
The pilot told air traffic control: “I think we have about four to five passengers that were burned by the laptop. The laptop is contained about mid-aircraft.”
As cabin crew members worked to control the fire, the plane continued to approach the airport and made a safe landing. Emergency workers were waiting on the ground.
Credit: Dallas Fort Worth Air Traffic Control
American Airlines said in a statement: “American Airlines flight 2398 landed safely at Dallas Fort Worth after reports of smoke from a customer’s device during landing.”
According to Aviation A2Z, the fire was consistent with a lithium-ion battery thermal runaway event – where a battery overheats uncontrollably and ignites. This can generate heat, smoke, flames and toxic gases quickly.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warns that lithium-ion batteries, including the type used in laptops, are liable to overheat in certain circumstances.
It advises that thermal runaway can occur “without warning” if a battery is damaged, exposed to water, overcharged or improperly packed.
The FAA has recorded 58 verified lithium-battery air incidents so far this year involving smoke, fire or extreme heat.
The US regulator states that lithium batteries must only be transported in carry-on luggage, while a number of airlines have tightened restrictions on portable charging devices in recent years.
In February, an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle, Washington, to Wichita in Kansas was forced to turn back when a passenger’s power bank overheated and caught fire.
