Airlines

Fuel leak focus of investigation into China Airlines Boeing 737 fire

By Leithen Francis

Investigators in Japan are trying to determine if there was fuel leak that caused the fire that destroyed a Taiwanese China Airlines Boeing 737-800 on 20 August.

Japan's Aircraft Accident and Railway Investigation Commission says a focus of the investigation is whether the aircraft was leaking fuel before the start of the blaze. On the morning of 20 August the 737, registration B-18616, had completed a flight from Taipei and passengers were preparing to disembark at Naha airport on Japan's Okinawa island when a fire started in or near one of the aircraft's CFM International CFM56-7B26 engines.

All 165 people on board escaped safely and the incident is subject to investigation by the Japanese authorities and Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration.

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