24-4-2024 (TOKYO) A tense situation unfolded at Shin Chitose Airport in northern Japan on Wednesday when smoke was seen emanating from an All Nippon Airways (ANA) plane as it touched down safely. The incident, which did not result in any reported injuries, has raised concerns about flight safety and the potential causes of the smoke.
According to reports from the public broadcaster NHK, ANA flight 71 from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport was carrying approximately 200 people when smoke was observed coming from the wing area as the plane landed at Shin Chitose Airport. The smoke subsided once the engines were shut down, suggesting a possible mechanical issue.
NHK reported that the smoke might have resulted from an oil leakage, citing an indicator in the cockpit that showed a loss of oil pressure in a system responsible for controlling the aircraft. One of the two runways at Shin Chitose Airport was temporarily closed following the incident.
Despite the concerning sight of smoke billowing from the aircraft, all passengers and crew members on board the ANA flight were reported to be safe and unharmed. The airline’s prompt response and the airport’s emergency protocols ensured that the situation was swiftly brought under control.
However, the incident has raised questions about the potential risks associated with such occurrences and the need for thorough investigations to identify the root cause and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
The smoke scare at Shin Chitose Airport comes just months after a more serious incident at Haneda Airport in January, where a Japan Airlines flight and a coast guard plane collided and burst into flames. While all 379 passengers and crew members on the JAL plane were evacuated safely, the pilot of the coast guard plane was injured, and five crew members tragically lost their lives.
