Cabin smoke forces JAL plane evacuation in snowstorm in Hokkaido

Fortunately the engine caught fire BEFORE they took off. Things could have ended much worse.

Reminding Flight-163 incident of eighties, gracefully time everybody is safe, thanks to skilled resources and modern safety.

it was unclear if the engine problem was linked to the smoke

This is Japan so let's form a committee to investigate and report back in TWO YEARS!!

It was then that the pilot reported engine trouble and smoke appeared in the cabin, prompting the emergency evacuation, although it was unclear if the engine problem was linked to the smoke.

It's a pretty safe bet that "engine trouble" and "smoke in the cabin" are going to be related when they happen at the same time. Those planes use the engine "bleed" (part of the engine exhaust is tapped and routed in towards the fuselage) to warm the leading edge slats in icing or snow conditions. This bleed should not be smokey, but if there was engine trouble...

This bleed is also used to heat the air in the cabin, but it does so through a heat exchanger (i.e. the bleed exhaust should never actually enter the cabin)

@ Fadamor

Impressive reply do you work for boeing?

Impressive reply do you work for boeing?

No, but last night I stayed at a Holiday Inn! (Sorry, it was a TV commercial series in the states.)

Actually, back when I was into flying for a virtual airline on MS Flight Simulator X, I spent the a large chunk of change for the PMDG 737-800 aircraft. PMDG has a rep for realistic cockpit ops and accurately model every system in the plane: fuel, electrical, hydraulic, fire suppression, etc. including the anti-ice and bleed air systems. While researching the procedure for turning on anti-ice, I ended up getting additional training on the engine bleed system because they interact.

The Air Conditioning System on an aircraft does work from engine bleed air. In my experience smoke in the flight station air coming out of the air ducts is usually caused by the air-conditioning turbine or an internal fan ceasing and the lubricant in these components creating smoke. Oh and the gas is not tapped from the exhaust... that would introduce too many odors in to the cabin since the air that is tapped off is what you breathe in the flight station.

The system actually taps air from predetermined stage of the engine compressor section prior to combustion. This air goes through a series of ducts, heat exchangers (air to air radiators), compressors and water separators to give you that cold dry air to enjoy in flight..:-P

This is Japan so let's form a committee to investigate and report back in TWO YEARS!!

Exactly. Reminds me of decades ago when a JAL flight from Tokyo to Osaka went down. A search and rescue team from Yokota (USAF Base) located the wreck and were able to assist with 2 hrs, but the Japanese authorities didn't give the green light. The Japanese arrived at the wreckage about 11 hrs later. By that time most passengers who had initially survived were dead.

@ fadamor

Thanks for the info

I saw the video one of the passengers took. It was pitiful. Everyone huddled near the plane, the cameraman; a fully grown man, kept going "やばい! やばい!" instead of helping the women and children away from the plane. What if, God forbid, one of the engines exploded? Is this really the kind of situation to scream your head off and record the scene?! I mean, they landed literally right on the tarmac. Is it that below you to help get everyone somewhere warm and away from danger. Jeez.

According to a JAL spokesman, the aircraft was heading to the runway when it was ordered back to the terminal due to heavy snow.

In a way, it may have been lucky that they had a heavy fall of snow at that time.

I'm really relieved to know everybody in that airplane were safe. Only one thing i'm worried about is the reason for fire from the engin. They say one of that is snow. Almost 1/2 a year,Hokkaido is covered with snow. So if it is really caused by snow,someting special care is needed. For this kind of trouble would never kill people.

The discovery of the cause of the engine problem (they haven't confirmed an actual fire yet) will go a long way towards ensuring it doesn't happen again.