The Aviation Safety Council (ASC) said yesterday it had found a charred lighter in a Japan Airlines aircraft that caused a fire incident on Saturday.
ASC said in a statement that the Japan Airlines Boeing 767-300 aircraft had two pilots, nine flight attendants and 33 passengers on board when it was preparing to land at 8:23pm on Saturday.
As the aircraft descended to 3,000m, however, a flight attendant detected a burning smell coming from the back of the cabin.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AVIATION SAFETY COUNCIL
The flight attendant then found smoke and a fire under seats 47A and 47C and quickly extinguished it.
No injuries were reported.
Before the aircraft landed, the pilot notified the tower at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The tower personnel then informed the local fire department, which dispatched 14 fire engines to stand by at the airport.
ASC flight safety investigator Tracy Jen (任靜宜) said the investigative team located a charred lighter in a gap between a seat and the back seat.
“About one-third of the lighter remained after the incident and the Japanese characters on the lighter were still legible,” Jen said.
Jen said the team found burn marks on the front and back of seat 47C.
Jen said passengers at seats 47A or 47C were a mother and son. Both had US passports. They told investigators they did not carry or use the lighter that might have caused the fire.
Jen said that although airlines once barred passengers from carrying lighters or other potentially dangerous items on board after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists attacks, they are now less strict in implementing the policy.
ASC said in its statement that the council had determined that the fire was a “flight safety incident.”
The council has appointed a chief investigator to lead the probe.
Results will be announced after the team completes its investigation, it said.
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