Boeing 777 involved in string of minor accidents in Japan

A Boeing 777 jet, the same aircraft model as Asiana Airlines Flight 214 that crash-landed at San Francisco International Airport, urgently returned to Tokyo`s Haneda airport in Japan due to a mechanical problem.

After departing for San Francisco at 00:50 a.m. Tuesday, Japan Airlines flight 002 reversed the course to Tokyo while flying over the Pacific Ocean when a sign was displayed on the gauge to warn of oil leak and landed around 4:10 a.m. at the airport.

All of the 249 passengers and crew members were safe. The passengers departed for San Francisco via another Boeing 777 at 8:10 a.m.

According to the Tokyo airport office under the Japanese land and transportation ministry, it discovered signs of oil leak on the runway that the returned flight used to land. Hence, the runway was shut down for two hours for cleaning. Japan Airlines is investigating the case to find the exact cause.

Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun said Boeing 777 aircraft had been involved in two accidents in which the tail of the airliner hit the runway over the past three years.

In March last year, a Boeing 777 jet of Japan Airlines had its tail wing hit the bottom as it lifted up the head while landing at Haneda Airport. In May 2010, another Boeing 777 of Japan Airlines had the same occurrence while landing at Osaka Airport.

Though no serious damage or casualties were reported in these accidents, the accidents were similar to the situation of Asiana flight 214’s crash-landing at San Francisco Airport.