Laptop catches fire on US flight, pilot reports
The pilot said passengers may have been burned, with one treated and released after American Airlines Flight 2398 landed safely.
A pilot reported that a passenger's laptop caught fire on an American Airlines flight, potentially injuring several individuals on board, according to air traffic control audio.
"Cabin fire in the back of the airplane," the pilot stated in audio acquired by CBS News, the BBC's US reporting affiliate. "The flight attendants are trying to put it out now."
"I think we have about four to five passengers that were burned by the laptop. The laptop is contained about mid-aircraft."
Following the landing of American Airlines Flight 2398, which originated in Atlanta, Georgia, at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas on Friday, one passenger received treatment and was subsequently released, the airport informed CBS News.
The airline issued a statement confirming that the flight landed safely "after reports of smoke from a customer's device during landing. We thank our crew for their professionalism and swift response to quickly contain the device."
The BBC has sought additional information from both the airport and the airline.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cautions that lithium batteries, including those found in laptops, can overheat "as a result of various factors, including if the battery is damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged, or improperly packed."
This year alone, there have been 58 verified air incidents involving lithium batteries that resulted in smoke, fire, or extreme heat. Over the past two decades, battery packs accounted for the highest number of incidents with 84 cases, while laptops were involved in 84 cases.
The US regulator mandates that lithium batteries must only be stored in carry-on baggage.
In May, an EasyJet flight from Egypt bound for the UK was diverted to Rome after a power bank was discovered charging in a passenger's luggage in the aircraft's hold. The flight was rescheduled for the following day.
The UK's aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, has indicated that power banks are contributing to an increasing number of serious problems on flights globally, and has called for greater awareness, as portable chargers pose "serious risks" of overheating or igniting.