China Airlines Flight 120

China Airlines Flight 120

Burned wreckage of Flight 120
Occurrence
Date	20 August 2007
Summary	Fire
Site	Naha Airport, Okinawa, Japan
Aircraft type	Boeing 737-800
Operator	China Airlines
Registration	B-18616disaster
Flight origin	Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
Destination	Naha Airport
Passengers	157
Crew	8
Fatalities	0
Injuries	3 (and 1 ground crew)
Survivors	165 (all)

China Airlines Flight 120 was a regularly scheduled flight from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan to Naha Airport in Okinawa, Japan. On 20 August 2007, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft was operating the flight, which caught fire and exploded after landing on Naha Airport. There were no deaths in the accident.

Background

The China Airlines aircraft was registered under number B-18616 and had been delivered in July, 2002. Being a model of the Boeing 737 Next Generation, it was equipped with CFM56-7B26 engines. 157 passengers were aboard, including 2 infants. Of the number, 110 passengers were from Taiwan, 23 were from Japan, and 24 were from other countries. The crew of eight were mostly Taiwanese, with one Japanese flight attendant.

Incident

The plane landed at 10:26 a.m. normally and taxied to the gate area by 10:34. Ground crew noticed fumes coming from engine #2 as the captain shut it down in anticipation of gate connection. Informed about the situation by air-traffic controllers the captain ordered an emergency evacuation. All passengers and flight attendants managed to leave the aircraft safely through the four hatches and using slides. The first officer and the captain left the aircraft through the cockpit windows when the last flight attendant has fled from the right aft hatch. Immediately after the evacuation of the last person (the Taiwanese captain), the number 1 engine burst violently into flames, igniting a blaze that destroyed the aircraft. A statement from the airline confirmed that all passengers and crew members were evacuated safely. A 57-year old Taiwanese man suffered from hypertension and an 8-year-old Hong Kong girl felt unwell; both were sent to a hospital nearby. An airport ground crew member was hurt during evacuation on the ground, and a flight attendant, who was the last person to leave the cabin, fell over on the ground when the aircraft exploded.

According to Naha Airport air traffic control, there was no report of any abnormal situation of the aircraft during cruising and landing, and the status of the aircraft was normal.

Due to the incident, the taxiways of Naha Airport was closed until 11:03 a.m. The cause of the incident will be investigated by Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. For safety considerations, although the cause of the incident was unknown, the Taiwan Ministry of Transportation and Communications has grounded all 14 remaining Boeing 737-800s of China Airlines, Mandarin Airlines and Republic of China Air Force for inspection, to prevent any similar incidents.

Aftermath

Concerning passengers' luggage, China Airlines would compensate NT$1000 for every kilogram of luggage lost, for a maximum of NT$20000 for checked-in luggages and another NT$20000 maximum for hand-carried luggages.

For the cause of the incident, according to initial investigations, since there was no sign of fuel leakage during the taxi to the gate, the Japan investigating team confirmed that the aircraft caught fire in the gate area. Also, confirmed by the recording in the cockpit voice recorder, the crews did not observe any abnormality before the incident.

China Airlines also painted over the still visible China Airlines logo on the wreck after receiving official permission to do so.

In the stock trading that preceded the accident, China Airlines stock fell along with Taiwan Fire & Marine Insurance Co.

See also

• Other incidents and accidents on China Airlines

External links

• BBC report
• In pictures: Taiwan plane on fire (BBC)