American Airlines flight lands safely after laptop battery catches fire on board; passenger injured

An American Airlines flight bound for Dallas returned to the ground safely on Friday evening after a passenger's laptop battery ignited mid-cabin, prompting a rapid response from flight attendants who contained the blaze before emergency crews met the aircraft at the gate.

American Airlines Flight 2398, an Airbus A321 carrying 133 people, had departed Atlanta and was on approach to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport when the fire broke out, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The aircraft touched down at approximately 6:55 p.m. local time without further incident and taxied to the gate under its own power.

American Airlines confirmed the event in a statement: "American Airlines flight 2398 landed safely at DFW after reports of smoke from a customer's device during landing. We thank our crew for their professionalism and swift response to quickly contain the device."

Flight attendants used a thermal containment bag to isolate the burning device, a standard piece of safety equipment designed specifically for lithium battery fires. Emergency personnel were waiting at the gate as a precaution when the plane arrived.

One passenger received medical attention at the scene and was later released, the airline said. Dallas Fort Worth Airport separately confirmed that emergency crews met the flight and treated one patient on site.

The experience was harrowing for those on board. Passenger Jessica Irgens told CBS News that the fire began roughly 30 minutes before the aircraft was due to land, when a laptop a few rows ahead began smoking and then caught fire. Irgens, who was seated two rows away, moved toward the back of the cabin as smoke filled the area. She said the laptop's owner placed the device in the aisle, where other passengers attempted to help before the crew took over.

Air traffic control audio obtained by CBS News captured the pilot informing controllers that four to five passengers may have suffered burns from the laptop. It was not immediately clear how many of those individuals ultimately sought or received medical care.

The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation into the incident.

Lithium-ion batteries, the kind used in laptops, cellphones and countless other portable electronics, can overheat through a process the FAA calls thermal runaway, a self-accelerating chemical reaction inside the battery cell. The agency warns that thermal runaway can strike without warning and may be triggered by a battery that has been damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged or improperly packed.

The episode adds to a string of in-flight battery fires that aviation regulators have been tracking in recent years, and it underscores the reason airlines now stock thermal containment bags as part of standard cabin safety equipment. For the 133 people aboard Flight 2398, the crew's quick use of that bag appears to have been the difference between a frightening moment and something far worse.

The FAA investigation is ongoing. No further information about the condition of the passengers or the specific device involved has been released.