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Taiwan-bound China Airlines jet returns to Japan due to speedometer
concerns TOKYO (AP) A China Airlines jet bound for Taiwan returned to an
airport in southwestern Japan after experiencing trouble with its
speed indicators, officials said Friday. There were no injuries or
damage. The Boeing 737-800 left for the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, from
Saga Airport on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu following
repair work after a fracture was found in its fuselage last month,
said Transport Official Kenji Toyama. The 70-centimeter (28-inch) fracture was found Sept. 21, weeks
after a similar China Airlines aircraft exploded at another Japanese
airport. The plane took off from Saga Airport on Friday afternoon but
returned about 30 minutes later because there were discrepancies
between the speedometers for the main pilot and the co-pilot, Toyama
said, adding that the cause of fault was not immediately known. The jet was not carrying any passengers and there was no damage
to the plane, he said. Toyama said the plane had been slow to take off, using the entire
runway before becoming airborne. One of the eight lamps near the end of the runway was later
discovered broken, although it was unclear when the damage occurred,
he said. On Aug. 20, a China Airlines Boeing 737-800 that landed at
Okinawa's Naha airport exploded in a fireball at a gate seconds
after all 157 passengers and eight crew safely evacuated. Investigators found a bolt on the right wing slat had come loose
and pierced a fuel tank, causing fuel to gush out and catch fire. The incident was a blow to the Taiwanese airline, which has been
struggling to shake its reputation for having a poor safety record.