Smoke Reported From Passenger Device on Flight From Atlanta to Dallas
American Airlines said one passenger was treated for burns and released after a laptop caught fire during landing, and 58 lithium battery incidents have been reported this year, the FAA said.
- On Aug 21, an American Airlines passenger suffered burn injuries when a laptop caught fire aboard American Airlines Flight 2398 during landing at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
- According to air traffic control audio obtained by CBS Texas, the pilot reported four to five passengers sustained hand burns, with around 133 people aboard the aircraft.
- After landing, emergency personnel met the flight at the gate to treat the injured passenger, who was later released; American Airlines confirmed "smoke from a customer's device" caused the incident.
- The Federal Aviation Administration recorded 58 lithium battery incidents causing smoke or fire on passenger planes this year as of Aug 2026, with such batteries standard in laptops and phones.
- Thermal runaway can occur when batteries are damaged, overheated, or exposed to water; the FAA notes this process can also happen without warning due to manufacturing defects.
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In an audio recording of the conversations with air traffic control, the pilot can be heard reporting that there is a fire that the air traffic controllers are trying to put out.
Passenger injured after laptop catches fire on American Airlines flight
BATTERY BURNOUT? An American Airlines passenger needed medical attention upon landing in Dallas after getting injured by a burning laptop while the flight was in progress. The exact cause of the fire was not specified. Lithium-ion batteries, a category that includes laptop batteries, are an ongoing concern onboard aircraft.
A laptop caught fire on a plane, injuring several passengers. The American Airlines flight eventually landed safely.
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