An investigation by the Japanese Transport Safety Board into a Korean Air Lines jetliner whose engine caught on fire at Haneda Airport in Tokyo said that the plane coasted 700 meters after the fire broke out, according to Kyodo News.

The scan of the engine revealed that dozens of turbine blades towards the back of the plane‘s left engine had been shattered. 


Pieces of the blade and engine cover were found on the runway around the point the fire broke out, with track marks extending 700 meters past that point, the Transport Safety Board said.

On Friday, a Korean Air B777 carrying 16 crew and 302 passengers was preparing to take off from Haneda Airport towards Gimpo Airport in Seoul when a fire broke out on the plane’s left engine.

The fire was immediately extinguished and all passengers and crew were evacuated via emergency slides. There were no reported injuries.

According to international law, the Japanese Transport Ministry is conducting an investigation into the fire.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)