An American Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles was canceled after a piece of loading equipment caught fire while it was preparing to put cargo in the hold of the plane.
A spokeswoman for the airline, Martha Thomas, said the container that was on the loading equipment also caught fire in the process.
She said the cargo it contained was ‘non-hazardous,’ without providing details. One person was hurt.
Photos on social media showed the fire blazing, with black smoke rising near the belly of the plane in between the right wing and tail wing
Thomas said boarding had not yet started and no passengers or crew on Flight 192 were injured. The flight was scheduled to depart Hong Kong at 6:10pm local time and arrive at Los Angeles at 4:30pm local time.
Thomas said the operator of the equipment is being treated for ‘non-life-threatening’ injuries.
Photos on social media showed the fire blazing, with black smoke rising near the belly of the plane in between the right wing and tail wing.
Hong Kong Airport Authority said the fire, which occurred at ground level, had been extinguished and they were investigating its cause.
The flight was scheduled to depart Hong Kong at 6:10pm local time and arrive at Los Angeles at 4:30pm local time