BANGKOK (Manager Daily)- Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways said on Friday thorough investigations are still going on to identify the exact causes of the incident that one part of its Boeing 777-300 passenger jet broke apart and fell down to hit damage vehicles on a Bangkok main road earlier this week.
But it said an early conclusion is that the incident is ‘unrelated isolated’ one, bearing no implication whatsoever that the airline’s maintenance and reliability standards have compromised.
It said ensuring safety is the cornerstone of Cathay Pacific Airways and its engineering department is working closely with manufacturers and Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department to identify the causes of the incident.
“It is our long standing goal to attain the highest level of safety and reliability in the industry,” the airliner said Friday.
Cathay Pacific on Thursday countered news reports that one of the plane’s engines has exploded minutes after taking off from the Thai capital Bangkok to Mumbai, India, on December 1.
Derek Cridland, Engineering Director, said in a statement the plane, flight CX751, turned back to Bangkok at 18:57 after being airborne at 17:58 local time that day.
The inner surface of the number one engine left hand D duct collapsed causing separation of a section of the duct structure, and “the proximity of the released material to the engine exhaust may have produced some sparks,” said Mr. Cridland.
He insisted the engine continued to operate satisfactorily and CX751 returned to Bangkok as a standard precautionary procedure and all 345 passengers and 17 crew members on board were safe.
A plane was dispatched from Hong Kong to pick up the passengers to continue their journey to Mumbai.
The aircraft is currently on ground in Bangkok for inspection by Cathay Pacific and Boeing Co. Both HKCAD and the aviation authorities of Thailand have been informed of the Incident, Mr. Cridland said.
Mr. Cridland said the airliner is closely cooperating with the authorities in Thailand in the investigation reports that the fallen debris had hit a vehicle, whose driver, accodring to press reports, was not injured.
However, Police Superintendent Amnarj Intharaprasart of Bangkok’s Toong Song Horng police station said on Wednesday the fallen debris hit and damaged 2 vehicles on Chaeng Wattana road, causing heavy congestion for a few hours.
But it said an early conclusion is that the incident is ‘unrelated isolated’ one, bearing no implication whatsoever that the airline’s maintenance and reliability standards have compromised.
It said ensuring safety is the cornerstone of Cathay Pacific Airways and its engineering department is working closely with manufacturers and Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department to identify the causes of the incident.
“It is our long standing goal to attain the highest level of safety and reliability in the industry,” the airliner said Friday.
Cathay Pacific on Thursday countered news reports that one of the plane’s engines has exploded minutes after taking off from the Thai capital Bangkok to Mumbai, India, on December 1.
Derek Cridland, Engineering Director, said in a statement the plane, flight CX751, turned back to Bangkok at 18:57 after being airborne at 17:58 local time that day.
The inner surface of the number one engine left hand D duct collapsed causing separation of a section of the duct structure, and “the proximity of the released material to the engine exhaust may have produced some sparks,” said Mr. Cridland.
He insisted the engine continued to operate satisfactorily and CX751 returned to Bangkok as a standard precautionary procedure and all 345 passengers and 17 crew members on board were safe.
A plane was dispatched from Hong Kong to pick up the passengers to continue their journey to Mumbai.
The aircraft is currently on ground in Bangkok for inspection by Cathay Pacific and Boeing Co. Both HKCAD and the aviation authorities of Thailand have been informed of the Incident, Mr. Cridland said.
Mr. Cridland said the airliner is closely cooperating with the authorities in Thailand in the investigation reports that the fallen debris had hit a vehicle, whose driver, accodring to press reports, was not injured.
However, Police Superintendent Amnarj Intharaprasart of Bangkok’s Toong Song Horng police station said on Wednesday the fallen debris hit and damaged 2 vehicles on Chaeng Wattana road, causing heavy congestion for a few hours.