Bolt Pierced China Air Fuel Tank

Accident investigators say a bolt off the right leading edge wing slat pierced the fuel tank of a China Airlines Boeing 737-800 twinjet after it landed Aug. 20 at Naha airport on the Okinawa. The right engine caught fire while the plane was taxiing on the runway and exploded several minutes later, but all 157 passengers and eight crew evacuated safely. The chief investigator for Japan’s Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission said a leak through the hole on the fuel tank likely caused the aircraft fire. “The bolt pierced through the fuel tank, and we believe that caused fuel to leak out,” he told reporters in Japan, adding that further investigation is needed to determine what caused the bolt to work itself loose from the slat. Meanwhile, the Kyoda News reports that Boeing in late 2005 instructed airlines to inspect their 737-800s after receiving reports of similar incidents. A Boeing spokesman had no immediate comment on the report. Flight 120 left Taipei and landed on the island at which time passengers say an explosion was heard before the engine burst into flames after landing. The fire was contained after an hour. A China Airlines official is quoted as saying that the aircraft was current in maintenance checks and was operating normally before the accident occurred. The twinjet was delivered to the airline five years ago, completing 13,666 flight hours. China Airlines’ 12 remaining 737-800s were grounded for engine inspections. Japan also ordered inspection of Boeing 737-800s operated by Japanese air carriers. Japan’s Transport Ministry says checks of the leading edge slats on 23 Boeing 737-800 operated by All Nippon Airways, Japan Air Lines and Skymark Airlines revealed no problems.