A cracked pylon may have caused a fuel leak that led to the fire and explosion of the China Airlines Boeing 737-800 at Japan’s Naha airport two days ago, Taiwan media reported on Wednesday.
Experts from the Japanese Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission, Taiwan’s China Airlines and Civil Aeronautics Administration and Boeing continued their probe of Monday’s accident at the Naha airport on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, according to Taiwanese press.
The investigation is focusing on causes for a suspected fuel leakage seen by ground engineers as the plane pulled in to a parking spot just after landing from Taiwan.
The 157 passengers and eight crew escaped safely, barely three minutes before the jet caught fire and exploded into three parts.
An initial report from Japanese experts suspects damage to a pylon, which connects the engine to the wing, on the jet’s right side triggered the explosion, according to the Central News Agency and the United Daily News.
The cause for the cracked pylon could be a design error, a maintenance problem or an outside factor.
However, Japanese and Taiwanese aviation authorities and Boeing were tight-lipped on the probe, to ensure an independent investigation.
On Tuesday evening, China Airlines held a news conference to welcome home the crew of the ill-fated plane. The captain was to describe the accident, but an order from the Aviation Safety Council prevented him from speaking.
China Airlines has insisted the Boeing 737-800, delivered in 2002, had been well-maintained and everything was normal during its Taipei-Okinawa flight on Monday.
The pilot learned about the fuel leak from Naha airport’s ground personnel, and ordered the evacuation of passengers, who included 114 Taiwanese, 19 Japanese and 24 passengers of other nationalities.
The pilot and co-pilot were the last to evacuate, leaping to the ground from the pilot cabin’s window shortly before the plane exploded.
Monday’s accident has not affected orders for the Boeing 737-800. On Tuesday, Boeing announced that China Southern Airlines had expressed the intention to expand its B737 fleet, and Boeing is working to finalise the deal.
Boeing did not say how many planes China Southern wants to buy, but press reports said the airline is considering 55 B737s — including the 737-700 and 737-800 — worth $3,8-billion. — Sapa-dpa