This certainly looks like it could have ended a lot worse. A fire broke out today at Hong Kong International Airport while a cargo container was being loaded onto an American Airlines 777-300ER bound for Los Angeles. Here's video footage of the incident: Follow this link if you want to see a longer video of…
Continue reading: Video: Cargo Catches Fire While Being Loaded Onto American 777-300ER At Hong Kong Airport
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
It's only a matter of time before lax cargo screening causes the next major air disaster!
Hey Lucky,
I was scheduled to board that flight.
It happened while we ("Premium passengers") were about to board. The staff had even checked my BP and passport when we saw smoke coming from behind the engine.
Really scary. Glad firemen and staff put out the fire quickly.
Read that 1 person (staff) was injured, my thoughts go out to him/her.
Rebooked onto CX880 in J, and spending my time at "The Pier", so complaint.
So glad all pax and staff are unharmed! Now what's more interesting - what caused the cargo flame up... ?
According to AA, it started on the loading equipment and spread to the cargo:
A spokesman for American Airlines said: "An external piece of loading equipment had a mechanical issue and caught fire while preparing to put cargo in the hold of American Airlines flight 192 from Hong Kong (HKG) to Los Angeles (LAX).
Big difference.
If this had gone off with that intensity after take off, this could have been fatal....time understand the issue, to dump, to get back on the RW.......
Man - I read the title of this article and knew right away it must be those Hong Kongese.... 😛
If it's true what American says, that the cause for the fire lies with the machine loading the cargo, then at least it'll take worry about items being not screen to the highest standard. (yes I know, many of you will say the standards are low etc., but that's not my point here)
I mentioned earlier, no one got hurt. Now they are reporting that one employee sustained non life threatening injuries. Hope it will stay like this-no further injuries, and the person has a speedy recovery.
@p I think AdamW meant this...
lax: not sufficiently strict, severe, or careful.
"lax security arrangements at the airport"
synonyms: slack, slipshod, negligent, remiss, careless, heedless, unmindful, slapdash, offhand, casual.
Hopefully the airline and cargo agents fully scrutinize the source of this shipment and quickly clamps down on what contents / shipper was violating what rules!
Also, having a radiating source of heat so close to a fuselage... I would definitely want a plane to be inspected and checked for any melted / deformed / damaged parts!
If you read the comments properly you will note that it was not the cargo that had a problem but the equipment that was loading the cargo into the plane. Please stop blaming Hong Kong authorities about not inspecting cargo properly etc.