Passengers escaped by using emergency slides to evacuate a China Airlines jet just moments prior to the plane bursting into a fireball this morning. All 165 people aboard escaped uninjured. The pilot jumped from the cockpit at the last second.
No report had been made by the pilot indicating anything was wrong with the Boeing 737-800 prior to the explosion.
"The fire started when the left engine exploded a minute after the aircraft entered the parking spot," a representative of the airport said.
The plane burst into flames seconds after what the last crew member escaped from a rear door and the pilot jumped from the cockpit window, according to footage from national broadcaster NHK.
The source of the problems may have been when the aircraft skidded on the tarmac on its way from the runway to the gate after landing, which is believed to have started a fire that prompted the emergency evacuation.
Japan's National Police Agency said terrorism was not suspected. Some initial reports from ground personnel indicate a fuel leak from the right engine could have led to a series of explosions.
Two passengers sought medical for reasons other than injuries. A ground engineer was knocked off his feet by the force of the blast, but was not hurt.
The fire burned for a full hour before being fully extinguished.
This plane fire on Okinawa is a setback to China Airlines, which in recent years appeared to have improved on a troubled safety record among international carriers.
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