Air China plane cabin fills with smoke after engine catches fire
Passengers had to be evacuated following emergency landing
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An Air China flight was forced to make an emergency landing after the engine caught fire and the plane cabin filled with smoke.
Flight CA403 was flying to Singapore from Chengdu, China on 10 September when the incident occurred.
Singapore’s Changi airport confirmed that the flight crew “reported smoke in the forward cargo hold and lavatory” at around 4pm, and that the aircraft was given priority to land at the airport at about 4.15pm after declaring an emergency.
“After landing, emergency slides of the aircraft were deployed for expeditious evacuation,” the airport said in a statement.
Video clips filmed by passengers have been shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing smoke in the plane cabin and those onboard subsequently disembarking via the inflatable emergency slides.
Travellers can be seen covering their noses and mouths with tissues in the footage taken inside the aircraft.
The runway was temporarily closed while emergency services put out a fire in the jet’s left engine, and the airport reported that all nine members of cabin crew and 146 passengers were evacuated safely.
“Nine passengers sustained minor injuries related to smoke inhalation and abrasions during the evacuation process,” said the airport’s statement. “They have since been attended to.”
The incident is being investigated by Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau and its Chinese counterpart.
Air China confirmed in a statement on Chinese social media site Weibo that smoke appeared in the cabin of the A320neo plane shortly before landing, reports CNN.
The carrier said it had determined that the fire was caused by a mechanical failure in the engine, although the investigation is ongoing.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments