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.




Source: Flight International