Pilot Reports Possible Passenger Burns After Laptop Fire on American Airlines Flight 2398

A passenger's laptop caught fire aboard an American Airlines flight traveling from Atlanta to Dallas, leaving as many as five passengers with possible burn injuries, according to reports by CBS News and the BBC.

The incident happened on American Airlines Flight 2398 as the aircraft, an Airbus A321 carrying 133 people, approached Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Crew members responded to a fire in the back of the cabin and worked to contain it before the plane landed safely.

What happened on board

The pilot radioed air traffic control to report the situation while the flight was still airborne. In audio obtained by CBS News, the pilot described a 

"cabin fire in the back of the airplane,"

 adding that flight attendants were working to put it out.

"I think we have about four to five passengers that were burned by the laptop," the pilot told controllers. "The laptop is contained about mid-aircraft."

The crew requested that medical personnel meet the aircraft on arrival. The flight continued to DFW without further incident and taxied to the gate, where airport fire and rescue crews were standing by.

Passengers and crew evaluated

After the plane reached the gate, emergency responders boarded to check on passengers who may have been affected by the fire. DFW airport later confirmed that only one passenger received medical treatment on site and was released – a smaller toll than the pilot's in-flight estimate of four to five people.

American Airlines said in a statement that Flight 2398 “landed safely at DFW after reports of smoke from a customer's device during landing,” and thanked the crew for their "professionalism and swift response" in containing the device. The airline did not release further details on the extent of any passenger's injuries.

Lithium batteries and in-flight fires

Lithium-ion batteries, which power laptops, phones, tablets, e-cigarettes, and portable chargers, have been linked to a growing number of in-flight fire incidents in recent years. When these batteries overheat, they can enter a state known as thermal runaway, producing intense heat, smoke, and flames that are difficult to extinguish.

The FAA has been tracking a steady rise in such events; by mid-August 2026, the agency's running tally for the year had already recorded more than 55 battery-related incidents. Airlines require passengers to keep spare lithium batteries and power banks in carry-on luggage rather than checked bags, so that any fire can be identified and addressed quickly. Flight attendants are trained to respond using water or a specialized containment bag to cool the device and prevent the fire from spreading.

Growing concern for aviation safety

This is not the first time an American Airlines flight has dealt with a laptop-related fire. In a separate incident, American Airlines Flight 2045 – a San Francisco-to-Miami service unrelated to the Atlanta-Dallas flight – was evacuated using emergency slides in July 2024 after a laptop in a passenger's carry-on bag began smoking during boarding, injuring three people in the resulting evacuation.

Regulators and industry groups have discussed tightening rules around how passengers store and use personal devices during flights. Some airlines already remind travelers not to charge devices during takeoff and landing, and to alert crew immediately if a device becomes hot, swollen, or begins to smoke. Aviation safety experts also advise keeping devices in view rather than wedged into seat cushions or reclining mechanisms, where damage can trigger a fire – and to ask a crew member for help if a device slips into a seat, rather than moving the seat itself, which can crush the battery.

What comes next

American Airlines said it is reviewing the incident, and the FAA typically investigates in-flight fires involving lithium batteries, adding confirmed cases to its running yearly tally. The precise nature and extent of the reported passenger injuries has not been publicly detailed beyond the pilot's preliminary in-flight estimate and the airport's confirmation of one person treated.

Passengers were able to disembark normally after the aircraft reached the gate. The plane was expected to be inspected before returning to service.