China Airlines plane catches fire at Okinawa airport (Roundup)

Tokyo/Taipei - A China Airlines plane became engulfed in flames Monday after one of its engine exploded upon landing on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, injuring two people, local media reported. The left engine of Flight 120 belonging to the Taiwan airline caught fire around 10:30 am (0130 GMT) at Naha airport, but all its 157 passengers, including two infants, were able to evacuate the plane on emergency chutes. No passengers were injured. One of the plane's eight crew members was hurt, however, as was a member of the ground crew. One passenger was also taken to hospital after becoming ill following the evacuation from the Boeing 737-800, which left Taipei at 9:23 am. The jet was taxiing on the tarmac when ground personnel alerted the pilot that the engine had caught fire, Taiwan authorities said. The plane's occupants were evacuated before the left engine exploded minutes after the plane was parked, a Japanese transport ministry official added. Fire and black smoke engulfed the plane, which broke into three parts, before the blaze was extinguished an hour later. Taiwan's ERA cable TV channel quoted some passengers as saying they heard an explosion in the engine before the fire. The passengers were mostly Taiwan tourists but included 18 Japanese travellers. Two pilots and six flight attendants, one of whom is Japanese, was also on board. According to a China Airlines spokesman, the flight operated normally from Taipei to Okinawa. Sun Hung-wen added at a news conference in Taipei that the airline plans to compensate the passengers for their lost baggage and cancelled trips. Taiwan aviation authorities said they would dispatch a team of experts to Okinawa to investigate the fire. 'Experts from the Civil Aeronautics Administration [CAA], the Aviation Safety Council and China Airlines will fly to Okinawa this afternoon,' CAA Director General Chang Kuo-cheng said at a news conference. Joining the investigators on their flight to Naha would also be Taiwan reporters and family members of Flight 120's passengers. 'As the accident occurred on Japanese soil, Japanese aeronautics authorities are in charge of the investigation, so we will assist them in the probe and will give them full cooperation,' Chang said. Chang added that the Boeing 737-800 had undergone regular maintenance and showed no sign of malfunctioning from the time it left Taipei to its landing at Naha airport. Chang said the Boeing 737-800 was delivered to China Airlines in July 2002 and had 13,666 flight hours on it. Its last safety check was on July 13, he said. He said special checks that would include examination of the engines, fuel systems, wings, pumps and fuel ducts had been ordered on all of Taiwan's 15 737-800s, 12 of which belong to China Airlines. Despite the fire, most of the Taiwan tourists on board planned to continue with their tour of Okinawa, even after their luggage and ID documents were burned, ERA TV reported. China Airlines experienced a much worse accident on Japanese soil. In April 1994, one of its flights crashed in Nagoya, killing 264 of the 271 people on board. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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trosper dental careAug 20th, 2007 - 07:16:24

I bet a lot of sake got/is getting consumed right now! Geez Louise!

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Steve RealAug 20th, 2007 - 10:49:02

Can anyone believe anything
that comes out of China.

Lead in baby bibs.
Lead in children toys.
Poisonous dog food.
Antifreeze in tooth paste.

Give me a break!
I would put a hundred dollars
down there was absolutely no maintenance
done on this plane.

It's their culture.
They can't stop lying
when they do business.

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Made in ChinaAug 20th, 2007 - 15:44:07

Plane must've been Made in China too!!

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Nota BeneAug 20th, 2007 - 16:42:10

Hey guys, do not confuse Taiwan and Main Land China. The plane was belonging to Taiwan and not PRC. Even they were the same country, they are now a little bit different since Mao.

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muggie2Aug 20th, 2007 - 18:01:40

At least all the passengers got off safely. Only two hurt, one member of the plane's crew and one member of the ground crew. Taiwan and Japan are already looking into what happened, and I trust the Japanese and the Taiwanese to make sure it doesn't happen again. Steve - mainland China and Taiwan are different countries who are hostile to each other - blaming Taiwan for mainland China's blunders is like blaming the U.S. for what Cuba does.

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NSKAug 21st, 2007 - 08:50:33

As a frequent traveler with with some friends in travel agencies, I have been warned in the past to avoid using any Chinese airlines, no matter how cheap a fare they can offer. The reason was that most Chinese airlines companies buy their aircraft used from other airlines after they no longer want to use them. If you fly a Chinese airline, there's a good chance you'll be riding (or crashing) in an outdated, cast aside JAL, Sebina, Air Canada, etc. jet, with a new paint job on the outside.
What I've said here is hearsay; second, third, maybe even fourth-hand information from friends in the travel business. I don't profess to be any type of authority on the subject, so read this post with that in mind.

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desmondAug 21st, 2007 - 13:29:45

I think some of you are arrogrant. China Airlines is from Taiwanese national carrier, not mainland China as in People's Republic of China. China Airlines is from ROC, Republic of China which is Taiwan or Chinese Taipei in Olympican naming. Pls get your facts right 'cos it's quite embrassing to see your childish comments in this forum.

China and Taiwan are two seperate entities, not to be confused or mixed together.

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still aliveAug 21st, 2007 - 16:14:48

I am an A&P mechanic and know that sometimes planes just don't work as advertised for a number of reasons ... its like when your car breaks down unexpectedly. However I believe the crew should be complimented in not loosing any souls. Which is the important thing, and which is my main focus every time I turn a wrench, the passengers arriving safely should be everyones focus every time.

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Globe TrotterAug 22nd, 2007 - 12:43:04

Desmond,

Your enlightening has muddled me so much I feel like DUMBO !!! Who gives a hoot about Taiwan and China??!! Thank GOD that all souls are safe !!! We'll leave the blaming to more competent authorities. We learn from what we hear or read. China Airlines history is there for all so i suggest you keep it mind when buying your next tickets!!!

GT

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FJAug 26th, 2007 - 01:30:49

Dying and living...more on the way of knowing...

What can I say..speculation about the conditions of these planes is open to probable accidents happening...Human Error!

Sometimes Expensive tickets with top airlines are worth the miles...safety, peace of mind on onboard service.

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