American Airlines tragedy: 5 passengers aboard Atlanta to Dallas flight suffer burn injuries, here's what went wrong

Five passengers on American Airlines suffered burns when a laptop ignited during a flight from Atlanta to Dallas.

Five passengers on American Airlines sustained burns when a laptop ignited inside its flight with more than 130 passengers, as per reports.

During a flight from Atlanta to Dallas, a laptop ignited, resulting in burns for five passengers on American Airlines. (AP)

The pilot communicated about a cabin fire in the rear of the aircraft during the flight from Atlanta, Georgia, to Dallas, Texas, on Friday, according to air traffic control audio acquired by CBS News.

American Airlines passenger laptop burns

“I think we have about four to five passengers that were burned by the laptop,” the pilot said. “The laptop is contained about mid-aircraft.”

According to the audio, flight attendants hurried to extinguish the flames.

The pilot reported that the hands of the injured passengers were scorched during the incident.

“After landing, the aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power. Per procedure, emergency personnel met the aircraft upon arrival to the gate,” American Airlines told PEOPLE.

The aircraft landed safely, and emergency personnel were present on the ground to assist the passengers, one of whom needed medical attention, as reported by the BBC.

“American Airlines flight 2398 landed safely at DFW after reports of smoke from a customer’s device during landing,” the airline informed CBS in a statement.

“We thank our crew for their professionalism and swift response to quickly contain the device.”

Lithium batteries tragedies

Lithium batteries are used in laptop and mobile phone batteries, as well as in charging cases for mobile phones and portable chargers.

As of August 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has documented 58 incidents involving lithium batteries that resulted in smoke or fire on passenger aircraft this year.

“All lithium-ion batteries are capable of overheating and undergoing a process called thermal runaway,” the FAA says on its website. “Thermal runaway can occur without warning as a result of various factors, including if the battery is damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged, or improperly packed. Thermal runaway can also occur on its own due to manufacturing defects.”