A passenger’s laptop caught fire in the cabin of an American Airlines flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on Friday, with one of the pilots telling air traffic controllers that up to five people on board may have been burned. The aircraft — an Airbus A321 with 133 people onboard — landed safely in Dallas amid a significant emergency presence.

Air traffic control (ATC) audio reveals that the crew reported a cabin fire in the back of the aircraft from a passenger’s laptop, adding that flight attendants were working to contain the device. The pilot put the number of possible injuries at “about four to five passengers,” with subsequent reports stating that one passenger was treated by medical teams on the ground.

Laptop Fire Reportedly Injures Multiple American Airlines Passengers

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The incident took place on American Airlines Flight 2398 on Friday evening as the aircraft was landing in Dallas. ATC audio captured the flight crew declaring an emergency and describing the situation, stating that there was a “cabin fire in the back of the airplane” after a passenger’s laptop had caught fire. The incident reportedly caused burn injuries to up to five passengers in the vicinity, while flight attendants were also involved in containing the device.

A spokesperson from American Airlines confirmed that there were “reports of smoke” from a customer’s device. The pilot subsequently told the controller that the device had been contained before conducting an emergency landing at DFW. The flight was met by emergency personnel on the ground, but was able to taxi to the gate at Terminal C on its own power. An American Airlines spokesperson told Simple Flying,

“American Airlines flight 2398 landed safely at DFW 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.”

Thermal Runaway Events

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Events like Friday evening are caused by a thermal runaway, which is when a lithium battery overheats and ignites. These events can occur suddenly as a result of various factors, including if the battery is damaged, improperly packed, or exposed to water. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), it recorded over 90 thermal runaway events in 2025, which was a slight increase from the previous year.

The majority of these events occurred on passenger aircraft, and laptops are not one of the common culprits. Instead, battery packs were the number one cause, followed by e-cigarette devices and cell phones. Airlines have tightened their rules around carrying these devices in recent months, with American, Delta, Southwest and United all introducing restrictions on portable chargers since last year, although laptops fall outside these restrictions.

Spare lithium batteries and power banks are banned from checked luggage and must be taken into the cabin as hand luggage. This allows crews to spot an overheating device and reach it quickly, which is not possible if a battery ignites in the hold mid-flight. Commercial aircraft are equipped with heat-resistant containment bags specifically to deal with thermal runaway events.

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Friday’s cabin fire was one of the few occasions when a passenger’s laptop was responsible for a cabin fire. FAA data shows that only eight of the 93 incidents logged in 2025 were due to a laptop. However, there are other ways that a laptop can become a hazard onboard, the most common scenario being when a device slips into a seat. The risk is greatest in business class cabins, where lie-flat or recliner seats can damage a battery without the passenger noticing.

In one recent incident from November, a United Airlines flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) diverted to Dublin Airport (DUB) after a laptop fell into the hold after slipping between a cabin wall, leaving the crew unable to reach it. Additionally, an American Airlines flight in July 2024 was evacuated at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) after a laptop inside a passenger’s bag caught fire while the aircraft was preparing to depart, injuring three passengers.