Laptop Explodes in Back of U.S. Passenger Plane; Multiple Sustain Burns

A fire broke out in the cabin of a U.S. domestic passenger plane after a laptop carried by a passenger exploded, leaving several passengers with burns and filling the aircraft with smoke.

On the 23rd (local time), American Airlines Flight 2398 (Airbus A321) from Atlanta to Dallas saw smoke rising from a laptop in a rear seat about 30 minutes before landing, which quickly caught fire and instantly filled the cabin with smoke. There were 133 passengers on board at the time. The smoke spread rapidly through the cabin, and passengers moved to the rear to avoid the burning laptop, causing chaos as they crowded the back of the aircraft. The pilot informed the control tower of the situation, stating, "There is a fire in the back of the plane. The flight attendants are trying to extinguish it," and also mentioned the possibility that up to five people had suffered burns.

Crew members extinguished the fire by placing the burning laptop in a special thermal bag within about five minutes. The aircraft landed safely at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport around 6:55 PM. The airport stated that one passenger received treatment at the scene after landing before returning home. American Airlines said, "Flight 2398 received a report of smoke from a passenger's device during landing but landed safely at the airport," adding, "We would like to thank the crew members who showed professionalism and a quick response to rapidly subdue the equipment."

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the incident. According to FAA statistics, there have been a total of 56 smoke or fire incidents caused by lithium batteries on aircraft this year, renewing concerns about the risks of battery fires. Due to such dangers, authorities maintain strict regulations on lithium batteries brought onto passenger planes, and the FAA limits the size of batteries passengers can carry due to fire risks.