What happened on American Airlines Flight 2636? Laptop fire triggers FAA probe

A passenger’s laptop caught fire aboard an American Airlines flight from Atlanta to Dallas on Friday evening, leaving up to five passengers with suspected burn injuries and filling the cabin with dense smoke.

According to air traffic control audio obtained by CBS News, the pilot of Flight 2398, an Airbus A321 carrying 133 people, notified controllers of a "cabin fire in the back of the airplane" as the aircraft prepared to land at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The pilot subsequently communicated that approximately four to five passengers had suffered burn injuries to their hands while assisting, noting that the scorching device had been contained near the middle of the cabin.

Speaking to CBS News, passenger Jessica Irgens recalled that the device began smoking heavily roughly 30 minutes before landing. The laptop was placed in the aisle, where passengers sustained burns while attempting to help extinguish the flames. Cabin crew acted swiftly to seal the malfunctioning electronic device inside a specialised thermal containment bag within five minutes.

In an official statement, American Airlines confirmed that Flight 2398 landed safely following reports of smoke from a customer's device, commending the crew for their swift and professional response. The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power, where emergency medical services met the plane. Airport authorities confirmed that one passenger received medical treatment at the scene before being released.

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the incident. The regulator warned that lithium-ion batteries can undergo thermal runaway without warning due to physical damage, overheating, or manufacturing defects, resulting in sudden cabin fires.