NEW — Aug. 22, 2026: An American Airlines flight from Atlanta landed safely at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Friday evening after a laptop battery caught fire in the cabin, according to statements from the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration.
American Airlines Flight 2398 was approaching DFW when the crew reported smoke from a passenger's device. The FAA said flight attendants contained the fire in a thermal containment bag before the Airbus A321 landed at approximately 6:55 p.m. local time.
The confirmed injury count is narrower than early reports
Air traffic control audio carried a pilot's report that four or five passengers had suffered burns to their hands. American Airlines publicly confirmed that one passenger received medical attention at the airport and was released. Until authorities issue a fuller accounting, those two figures should not be treated as interchangeable.
The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power, where emergency personnel met it. American thanked the crew for its fast response. The FAA has opened an investigation.
Lithium batteries are tiny chemistry sets with a boarding pass
The FAA warns that lithium-ion batteries can overheat through a process called thermal runaway, sometimes because of damage, heat, water exposure, overcharging, improper packing or a manufacturing defect. Passengers should alert crew members immediately if a device becomes hot, swells, smokes or burns.
The agency's public incident tracker listed 58 battery-related smoke, fire or extreme-heat events on passenger aircraft in 2026 through its Aug. 11 update. That list is not comprehensive, but it is enough to make “please put your laptop away for landing” sound considerably less ceremonial.
Sources: People, published Aug. 22 at 10:09 a.m. EDT; FAA lithium-battery incident data; FAA PackSafe guidance.
Facts first. Side-eye included.
DJF separates what is confirmed from what is claimed—and tells you why this particular mess is worth your time.