Pilot reports possible burn injuries after passenger's laptop catches fire
"I think we have about four to five passengers that were burned by the laptop," a pilot could be heard saying in air traffic control audio obtained by CBS News.
Four to five passengers may have suffered burn injuries after a laptop caught fire on American Airlines Flight 2398, according to pilot reports obtained via air traffic control audio. The incident occurred during the flight's landing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. One passenger was treated and released following the event.
The flight, departing from Atlanta, carried 133 people. The pilot indicated that the lithium battery-powered laptop was located mid-airplane. Cabin fire was reported in the rear of the aircraft, with flight attendants actively attempting to extinguish it. American Airlines praised their crew for their professional response and swift containment of the device.
The FAA has issued warnings regarding the risks posed by overheated batteries in devices like laptops and cell phones, particularly lithium batteries, which can lead to thermal runaway without warning. This particular incident is part of a recent trend, with at least 56 such incidents reported this year involving smoke, fire, or overheating according to FAA data.
A similar situation occurred in February when an Alaska Airlines flight returning from Wichita, Kansas, was forced to divert back to Seattle after a passenger's power bank device overheated and caught fire.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
