Japan Airlines Boeing 777 suffers in-flight uncontained engine failure

5 December 2020

On 4 December, a Japan Airlines Boeing 777 (registered JA8978) operated domestic flight JL904 between Naha Airport (Okinawa) and Tokyo Haneda, Japan. Into the flight, the 23-years-old aircraft experienced a left-hand uncontained engine failure forcing the pilots to return to Naha Airport.

The aircraft carried 178 passengers and 11 crew members. Nobody was injured. After landing, passengers took a replacement aircraft for their journey to Tokyo.

The Aviation Herald writes that the Japan’s Ministry of Transport rated the occurrence a serious incident, Japans TSB have dispatched investigators on site and opened an investigation. The ministry reported one of the fan blades of the left hand engine was damaged at the root.

Pictures and video’s appeared on social media, website ryukyushimpo.jp released the following pictures: