American Airlines Flight Lands Safely After Laptop Battery Fire

An American Airlines flight landed safely in Dallas after a laptop battery caught fire on board, prompting flight attendants to contain the fire and emergency personnel to meet the aircraft. American Airlines Flight 2398 was approaching Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on Friday after departing Atlanta when the crew reported a laptop battery fire, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Flight attendants contained the fire using a thermal containment bag. The Airbus A321 landed safely at DFW at approximately 6:55 p.m. local time, and the FAA is investigating the incident. American Airlines confirmed that smoke was reported from a passenger's device during landing. The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power, where emergency personnel met the plane as per procedure. One passenger received medical attention at the scene and was released. The flight was carrying 133 people when the incident occurred. A passenger reported that the fire began roughly 30 minutes before landing when another passenger's laptop started smoking and caught fire. The pilot informed air traffic controllers that four to five passengers may have suffered burns from the laptop. The FAA noted that lithium batteries can overheat due to thermal runaway, which can occur without warning and may result from various factors such as damage or overheating.