Air China plane lands safely at Changi Airport after engine catches fire; one runway closed
An Air China flight from Chengdu, in Sichuan province, made an emergency landing in Singapore on Sunday (Sep 10) afternoon after its left engine caught fire.
The CA403 flight “encountered smoke” in its forward cargo hold and lavatory on its way to Changi Airport, indicated a Facebook post by the airport.
The plane, which flew from Tianfu International Airport at 11.05 am, landed at Changi’s Runway 3 at around 4.15 pm, with all passengers and crew members evacuated safely.
The fire in the left engine has since been put out.
In one video posted on social media, smoke can be seen engulfing the economy cabin while an air stewardess is heard giving instructions to the passengers on their next steps.
Passengers appear to be calm, as they bend their bodies forward.
GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
In another video, passengers are seen sliding down an emergency slide, coughing and running away from the plane.
In the same video, a Singapore Civil Defence Force fire engine can be seen arriving at the scene.
One passenger commented on social media that the fire occurred during its descent, and it went on for about 40 minutes.
“Everyone was covering their nose and mouth with a wet towel while struggling to breathe,” she said.
“At that moment, I started having flashbacks about the past and I thought my life was going to be over. But thankfully, the plane did an emergency landing and we were able to escape alive eventually.”
Air China and Changi Airport Group are providing assistance to the passengers and crew.
The runway will be temporarily closed, and flight operations may be affected.
Passengers should check the Changi Airport website or app for the latest information on their flights. THE STRAITS TIMES
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Singapore
PM Wong calls on Singaporeans to support each other, help his government take the country forward
Daily Debrief: What Happened Today (May 15)
Singapore life insurance sales up 32.2% to S$1.4 billion in Q1
Daily Debrief: What Happened Today (May 14)
‘We are prepared to relook everything’: Lawrence Wong on new leadership’s approach
Singapore’s Cabinet changes at a glance