Dallas, United States: A passenger’s laptop caught fire aboard American Airlines Flight 2398 while the Airbus A321 was approaching Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) from Atlanta on August 21, prompting a cabin emergency and an immediate response from the flight crew.
Flight 2398 was operating from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport with 133 people on board when smoke and fire were reported from a passenger’s electronic device during the landing phase. The aircraft was an Airbus A321.
According to air traffic control audio, the pilot initially reported a fire in the rear section of the aircraft while flight attendants were attempting to extinguish it. The pilot told controllers, “Cabin fire in the back of the airplane,” as the crew worked to bring the situation under control.
Passenger Jessica Irgens told CBS News that the incident began roughly 30 minutes before landing when another passenger’s laptop started smoking and then caught fire. She said she was sitting about two rows from the device and moved toward the rear of the aircraft after smoke began filling the cabin.
According to Irgens, the laptop’s owner placed the burning device in the aisle while passengers attempted to assist. She said the crew managed to secure the device in a thermal containment bag within about five minutes.
The pilot subsequently told air traffic control, “I think we have about four to five passengers that were burned by the laptop,” adding that “The laptop contained about mid-aircraft.” These figures came from the pilot’s initial report and should not be treated as the final confirmed injury count.
American Airlines confirmed that the aircraft landed safely at DFW and said the incident involved smoke from a customer’s device during landing. The airline said, “American Airlines flight 2398 landed safely at DFW after reports of smoke from a customer’s device during landing.” It added, “We thank our crew for their professionalism and swift response to quickly contain the device.”
The airline also said the aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power and that emergency personnel met the aircraft upon arrival in accordance with standard procedure. One passenger received medical attention at the scene and was subsequently released, according to American Airlines. DFW separately confirmed that emergency crews responded and one patient was treated and released.
The Federal Aviation Administration said flight attendants contained the fire using a thermal containment bag. The Airbus A321 landed at DFW at approximately 6:55 p.m. local time, and the FAA said it was investigating the incident.
The exact technical failure that caused the laptop to ignite has not been publicly established. The available official information identifies the source as a customer’s device, while the FAA has separately warned that lithium-ion batteries can undergo a process known as thermal runaway. Such an event can occur when a battery is damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged or improperly packed.
The incident therefore did not result in an emergency diversion or emergency landing at an alternate airport. Flight 2398 continued to Dallas-Fort Worth after the cabin crew contained the device and landed safely at its scheduled destination. The aircraft then reached the gate under its own power, where emergency personnel responded.
