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Laptop catches fire on US flight, pilot reports

Mallory Moench
News imageKevin Carter/Getty Images The front of an air plane with the American logo on a runway. Kevin Carter/Getty Images
American Airlines Flight 2398, an Airbus A321 like the plane pictured here, landed safely at Dallas Forth Worth airport

A passenger's laptop has caught fire on an American Airlines flight, possibly burning multiple people on the plane, according to air traffic control audio.

"Cabin fire in the back of the airplane," the pilot said in audio obtained by the BBC's US reporting partner CBS News. "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."

One passenger was treated and released after American Airlines Flight 2398 - coming from Atlanta, Georgia - landed at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas on Friday, the airport told CBS News.

The airline said in a statement 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 reached out to the airport and the airline for more information.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warns that lithium batteries, including laptop batteries, are capable of overheating "as a result of various factors, including if the battery is damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged, or improperly packed".

The FAA recorded 58 verified lithium battery air incidents so far this year involving smoke, fire or extreme heat. In the last 20 years, the highest number of incidents was related to battery packs, with 84 cases related to laptops.

Lithium batteries must be stowed in carry-on baggage only, the US regulator says.

In May, a UK-bound EasyJet flight from Egypt was diverted to Rome after a power bank was found to be charging in a passenger's luggage in the hold of the aircraft. The flight was rescheduled for the next day.

The UK's aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority has said power banks are causing a growing number of serious issues on flights worldwide, and urged more awareness as portable chargers carry "serious risks" of overheating or catching fire.