On Friday, August 21, American Airlines flight 2398 en route experienced a sudden laptop fire incident involving a passenger.
According to a recording obtained by CBS News, the pilot reported to air traffic control saying “There is a fire in the aircraft cabin” and mentioned that “Flight attendants are working to extinguish the fire… approximately four to five passengers have been burned by the laptop, which was located in the middle of the aircraft.”
The flight had taken off from Atlanta airport in Georgia and after landing at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, the passenger received medical treatment on-site before departing.
American Airlines stated that “the flight safely landed after receiving reports of a passenger device smoking during descent. We appreciate the professionalism and swift response of our crew members who promptly controlled the device.”
After landing smoothly, the aircraft taxied to the gate where emergency responders boarded the plane according to standard procedures.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning that lithium batteries (including those in laptops) may overheat due to various reasons such as battery damage, overheating, exposure to water, overcharging, or improper packaging.
Aviation regulatory authorities emphasized that lithium batteries should only be carried in carry-on baggage.
So far this year, FAA has recorded 58 verified incidents involving lithium battery aviation accidents, which include smoking, fires, or extreme high temperatures. Batteries have been the most prevalent cause of incidents over the past 20 years, with 84 incidents related to laptops.
In May, an EasyJet flight from Egypt to the UK was forced to divert to Rome after a passenger’s luggage charging a power bank was found in the cargo hold. The flight was rescheduled to depart the following day.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) also noted an increasing number of serious incidents caused by power banks on global flights and urged the public to raise awareness of safety precautions to prevent portable chargers from overheating or catching fire.
Currently, the general rules by the FAA and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) state that electronic devices containing lithium-ion batteries such as laptops, phones, tablets, etc., can be carried onboard but must be placed in carry-on baggage. If stored in checked baggage, they must be completely powered off to prevent accidental activation, avoiding impact or damage. Different airlines may have stricter specific regulations.
(This article was referenced from BBC reports)