An Air China aircraft experienced an engine fire leading to smoke filling the cabin and wounded nine passengers during its landing in Singapore.
Singapore’s Changi Airport issued a statement on the same day that Air China flight CA403 was flying to Singapore from China when it “reported smoke in the forward cargo hold and lavatory.”
“After landing, emergency slides of the aircraft were deployed for expeditious evacuation,” the airport said in its statement.
The incident occurred with the Airbus A320, carrying 146 passengers and nine crew members, as it made an emergency landing around 4:15 p.m. on Sunday at Changi Airport, as reported on the airport’s Facebook. The plane originated from Chengdu, Sichuan province.
The affected passengers suffered minor injuries, mostly due to smoke inhalation and scrapes during the evacuation process.
The pilot alerted an emergency due to smoke detected in the front cargo hold and a restroom. The smoky condition made the cabin lights hazy, causing panic among passengers, with the flight crew urging them to stay seated and calm.
Chinese media reported that the fire, which started in the plane’s left engine, was successfully put out post-landing.
Air China, in a statement on Monday, hinted at a mechanical glitch in the engine as the potential reason for the fire.
