Laptop catches fire on US flight, passenger treated after emergency incident

A laptop reportedly caught fire during a US flight, raising concern among passengers and crew on Saturday.

The affected passenger was later given medical treatment after the incident. According to reports, the pilot had notified air traffic control of a cabin fire in the back of the airplane to air traffic control saying that flight attendants had extinguished the fire completely.

The airline told the BBC that the flight landed safely, following reports of smoke from a customer’s device during landing.

They appreciate the crew for their commitment to excellence and swift response to immediately contain the device. The aircraft taxied to the gate and emergency personnel met the aircraft upon arrival after a safe landing.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cautioned that lithium batteries, including laptop batteries are susceptible to thermal runaway, exposed to water, overcharged and improperly packed.

Given the serious incident, the US regulator says that lithium batteries must be stowed in carry-on baggage only.

Further, the UK’s aviation regulator has stated that power banks are causing an increasing number of serious issues on flights globally and has urged more awareness as portable chargers pose a critical risk of overheating or catching fire during flights.