Laptop battery fire injures passengers on American Airlines flight from Atlanta to Dallas

A laptop battery caught fire aboard an American Airlines flight from Atlanta to Dallas on Friday, injuring several passengers and prompting an emergency response upon landing.

The Airbus A321, carrying about 133 people, landed safely at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport around 6:55 p.m. local time after departing Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to the Federal Flight Association. Flight attendants contained the fire using a thermal containment bag, and emergency crews met the aircraft on arrival. One passenger was treated for burns and released, a DFW spokesperson said .

In air traffic control audio obtained by CBS Texas, the pilot reported a laptop fire mid-cabin, stating, “I think we have about four to five passengers that were burned by the laptop.” The pilot added that the device had been contained and that passengers suffered burns to their hands .

American Airlines confirmed in a statement that Flight 2398 landed safely after reports of smoke from a passenger’s device during landing. The airline thanked the crew for their “professionalism and swift response to quickly contain the device” .

The Federal Aviation Administration has recorded 58 incidents involving lithium batteries causing smoke or fire on passenger planes so far in 2026. The agency notes that lithium-ion batteries can overheat and undergo thermal runaway due to damage, overheating, water exposure, overcharging, or improper packing, or as a result of manufacturing defects .

Lithium batteries, including those in laptops, must be carried in carry-on baggage only, according to FAA regulations. Over the past 20 years, the majority of battery-related incidents involved laptops, with 84 such cases documented .

In May, an EasyJet flight from Egypt to the U.K. was diverted to Rome after a passenger’s external battery was found charging in checked luggage, delaying the flight until the following day .