Passengers Evacuated From ANA Plane in Okinawa After Engine Trouble Midair
Passengers and crew were evacuated from an All Nippon Airways aircraft at Naha Airport in Okinawa after the plane developed an engine problem shortly after taking off for Saga Prefecture on Wednesday night.
The Boeing 737-800 was carrying 152 passengers, including four infants, and six crew members when the problem occurred. The aircraft returned to Naha Airport after the crew detected an abnormal indication involving the right engine.
After landing, everyone on board left the aircraft using emergency evacuation slides on the taxiway. Three passengers suffered minor injuries, according to ANA.
Engine Problem Detected Shortly After Takeoff
ANA Flight 1502 departed Okinawa's Naha Airport on Wednesday evening bound for Saga Airport in Saga Prefecture on Kyushu. The aircraft had been in the air for about 20 minutes when the crew received an indication that the oil temperature in the right engine was abnormally high.
The crew subsequently shut down the affected engine and requested priority handling from air traffic control. The aircraft then turned back towards Naha Airport rather than continuing its planned journey to Saga.
ANA said the aircraft landed safely at Naha shortly after 10 p.m. The airline's account said the engine issue occurred while the aircraft was flying over the area around Naha Airport.
There was no report of fire or smoke from the aircraft. The exact cause of the engine problem was not immediately established and was to be investigated by the airline and aviation safety authorities.
Emergency Evacuation Was Carried Out on the Taxiway
Although the aircraft landed safely, an emergency evacuation was carried out after it reached the ground. Passengers and crew members exited through the emergency slides and were evacuated onto the airport taxiway.
ANA confirmed that all 152 passengers and six crew members left the aircraft. Three passengers sustained minor injuries, described as scratches, during the incident.
The evacuation meant that passengers had to leave the aircraft quickly rather than simply remaining seated while the plane was moved to a normal parking position. Emergency slides were deployed to allow people to exit the aircraft onto the taxiway.
The incident was subsequently treated by Japanese authorities as more than an ordinary aircraft malfunction because of the circumstances surrounding the engine problem and emergency evacuation.
Transport Ministry Classifies Incident as Serious
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism classified the incident as a serious incident. Under Japan's aviation safety system, that classification is used for an event that could have resulted in an accident even when an actual accident does not occur.
The Japan Transport Safety Board is investigating what happened. Three aircraft accident investigators were appointed on Thursday and were scheduled to travel to Naha Airport on Friday as part of the investigation.
The investigators will examine the aircraft, the engine indications recorded during the flight and other available information to determine what caused the abnormal engine condition.
The investigation is also expected to examine the sequence of events from the initial engine indication through the decision to shut down the engine, return to Naha and evacuate the aircraft after landing.
Flight Had 152 Passengers and Six Crew
The aircraft was carrying 152 passengers, including four infants. Six crew members were also aboard, consisting of the pilots and cabin crew responsible for operating the flight and assisting passengers.
The flight was travelling from Okinawa to Saga, a route connecting Japan's southern island prefecture with Saga Prefecture on Kyushu. Instead of continuing towards its destination, the aircraft returned to the airport from which it had departed.
The aircraft was a Boeing 737-800, a widely used narrow-body passenger aircraft. ANA operates the type on domestic routes within Japan.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:19 p.m. on September 23, according to ANA's account. The aircraft subsequently returned to Naha after the crew requested priority handling from air traffic control.
Passengers Reported a Sudden Problem During the Flight
Passengers described a worrying experience as the aircraft returned to Okinawa. One passenger interviewed in subsequent reporting recalled hearing a loud sound while the aircraft was in the air.
Another passenger said that there was concern that the aircraft could crash before it returned safely to Naha. The aircraft nevertheless completed the return flight and landed without a crash or fire.
The emergency evacuation following the landing added another difficult stage to the incident. Passengers had to leave the aircraft using emergency slides instead of disembarking normally through the airport terminal.
The three reported injuries were minor, with ANA saying that passengers suffered injuries such as scratches. No fatalities were reported.
ANA Apologizes Following Incident
ANA issued an apology to the passengers who were on board and to others affected by the incident. The airline said that passenger and crew safety remained its highest priority.
The company also said it would fully cooperate with the Japan Transport Safety Board investigation into the cause of the incident. ANA said it would provide further information as it became available.
The airline's initial notice confirmed that the aircraft experienced an issue with one of its engines while flying over the Naha Airport area. After receiving priority handling, the aircraft returned and landed safely.
ANA's notice also confirmed that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism officially classified the event as a serious incident at 10:45 p.m. on September 23.
Investigation Will Determine Cause of Engine Problem
The precise reason for the abnormal oil-temperature indication remained under investigation. An engine warning or abnormal indication can have several possible causes, so investigators will need to examine the aircraft and relevant technical records before reaching conclusions.
The fact that the right engine was shut down was part of the crew's response to the abnormal indication. Modern commercial aircraft are designed to continue flying after the loss of one engine, allowing pilots to return to an airport or divert to another suitable airport when necessary.
In this case, the crew returned to Naha and the aircraft landed safely. The subsequent emergency evacuation was carried out on the taxiway, with all occupants leaving the aircraft.
Investigators will now examine the aircraft and engine to establish what caused the abnormal oil temperature and whether there were any other contributing factors. The investigation will also help determine whether any additional safety measures are required.
Serious Incident Rather Than Aircraft Accident
The classification as a serious incident does not mean that an aircraft accident occurred. The aircraft landed safely and there were no reports of a crash, fire or fatalities.
Instead, the classification reflects the potential consequences of the event and allows the appropriate aviation safety authorities to conduct a formal investigation. The Japan Transport Safety Board's investigators are responsible for determining the facts surrounding the incident rather than simply relying on the airline's initial assessment.
The investigation is expected to provide a clearer account of what happened to the right engine, why the abnormal oil temperature was indicated and how the aircraft and crew responded to the problem.
Flight Returned Safely to Naha
For the passengers aboard Flight 1502, the incident transformed what had begun as a routine domestic flight into an emergency situation within a short period of time. The aircraft had departed Naha for Saga before the engine indication prompted the crew to take action.
The aircraft returned to Naha, landed shortly after 10 p.m. and was then evacuated on the taxiway. Three passengers sustained minor injuries, while the remaining passengers and crew were evacuated without reported serious injury.
The incident is now the subject of a formal safety investigation. Three investigators are due to inspect the aircraft and examine the circumstances surrounding the engine problem, while ANA has said it will cooperate fully with the authorities.
Until the investigation establishes the cause, the exact reason for the abnormal right-engine oil temperature remains unknown. The immediate outcome, however, was that the aircraft returned safely to Naha and all passengers and crew were able to evacuate the plane, with only three minor injuries reported.
