- Left engine of the Japan Airlines plane combusted as it took off from Tokyo
- It was carrying 233 passengers and 15 crew to New York on Tuesday morning
- Footage shows the engine on fire as the plane ascends after the explosion
- The pilot discarded fuel in air and made a safe emergency landing in Tokyo
This is the terrifying moment a plane from Tokyo to New York had to make an emergency landing after the engine exploded.
The left engine of the Japan Airlines plane combusted as it took off from Tokyo airport with 233 passengers and 15 crew on Tuesday morning.
Footage shows the engine on fire as the plane ascends after the explosion caused the plane to violently shake.
Fire: The left engine of the Japan Airlines plane exploded as it took off from Tokyo airport with 233 passengers and 15 crew on Tuesday morning
The quick-thinking pilot discarded fuel in the air before returning to the airport and safely making an emergency landing.
Stumped investigators say there is no evidence of a bird flying into the engine as previously thought.
A 57-year-old passenger said: ‘Right after taking off we heard five bangs and the plane shook, but all the passengers were calm.’
A high school student, 17, added: ‘I was nervous at first but I’m glad we were able to come back safely.’
A Japan Airlines spokesman said: ‘We did not find any trace that indicates a bird strike. We’re still investigating what caused the engine trouble.’
Terrifying: Footage shows the plane ascending before the explosion which violently shook the aircraft
Emergency: Stumped investigators say there is no evidence of a bird flying into the engine as previously thought
‘The plane discarded fuel in the air to reduce its weight ahead of landing.’
The airline said there was no damage to the plane’s structure or injuries to passengers or crew. No major delays were caused by the incident.
A land ministry official said a grass field next to one of the four runways briefly caught fire after the JAL jet departed but was soon extinguished.
‘We closed this runway as there may be some parts that dropped from the plane,’ he said.
Haneda – officially known as Tokyo International Airport – is the world’s fifth-busiest airport, according to Airports Council International, with more than 75 million passengers each year.
Lucky escape: The airline said there was no damage to the plane’s structure or injuries to passengers or crew. No major delays were caused by the incident