American Airlines Flight Safely Lands After Laptop Battery Fire
An American Airlines flight made a safe landing in Dallas following a laptop battery fire onboard, which required flight attendants to take action and emergency personnel to be ready upon arrival.
Flight 2398 was nearing Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on Friday after leaving Atlanta when the crew reported that a laptop battery had caught fire, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The flight attendants managed to contain the fire using a thermal containment bag, as per FAA reports.
The Airbus A321 landed at DFW around 6:55 p.m. local time, and the FAA is currently looking into what happened.
American Airlines later confirmed that smoke was detected coming from a passenger’s device during the landing phase. A spokesperson expressed gratitude towards the crew for their swift and effective response in managing the situation.
Once on the ground, the aircraft taxied to the gate, where emergency services were on standby as per standard operating procedure. A passenger was treated at the scene and subsequently released, according to both the airline and DFW officials.
There were 133 people on board at the time of the incident, which was noted in air traffic control communications obtained by CBS News.
One passenger, Jessica Irgens, described how the fire started about half an hour before landing when another traveler’s laptop began to emit smoke and eventually caught fire. Irgens mentioned moving towards the back of the plane to escape the thick smoke and noted that other passengers were trying to assist.
According to air traffic audio, the pilot reported that several passengers may have suffered burns related to the incident.
The FAA has indicated that lithium batteries, commonly found in laptops and other gadgets, can pose a fire risk if they undergo something called thermal runaway. This situation can arise suddenly and might be triggered by various issues such as damage, extreme heat, water exposure, overcharging, or improper packing.
