Japanese transport authorities have begun inspecting a passenger plane that made an emergency landing at Kansai International Airport, western Japan, on Friday.
The United Airlines’ Boeing 737 took off from Narita Airport near Tokyo and was heading for Cebu in the Philippines when the cockpit received a warning indicating a fire in the cargo compartment. The plane made an emergency landing at Kansai International Airport, and five passengers were slightly injured during the ensuing evacuation.
Two investigators dispatched to the airport by the Japan Transport Safety Board interviewed the pilots and cabin crew on Saturday.
They began examining the state of the aircraft itself on Sunday morning.
The investigators were seen boarding the aircraft and checking the condition of the cockpit while taking photos.
Transport ministry officials at the airport and United Airlines have said they found no signs of a blaze in the cargo compartment.
Before starting the inspection, Takahashi Mitsuru, one of the investigators, told reporters that they will closely examine the inside of the entire cargo compartment and will also confirm whether the displayed warning was correctly issued.
The Japan Transport Safety Board plans to continue the probe to find out if the smoke sensor in the compartment and the aircraft’s fire alert system were working properly, among other lines of inquiry.
AloJapan.com