Overheated e-cigarette battery causes small fire on flight

CHICAGO – American Airlines says a passenger’s electronic cigarette caused a small fire on a flight from Las Vegas to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

American Airlines spokeswoman Leslie Scott says the e-cigarette’s battery overheated shortly after Flight 168 landed Friday night. Scott says flight attendants stamped out the fire.

No one was injured. The 138 passengers and crew of six taxied to a gate.

The U.S. Transportation Department has banned e-cigarettes from checked bags because of the potential for them to catch fire. Passengers may put then in carry-on bags, but cannot use them aboard planes.

Scott says the incident was reported to the Federal Aviation Administration, which tracks such events.