Smoke forces LA-bound PAL flight to make emergency landing in Tokyo

National

A PHILIPPINE Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft bound for Los Angeles made an emergency landing at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport after smoke was detected in the cabin.

PAL Flight PR102 departed Manila on Wednesday evening, April 9, before diverting to Haneda, said Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, a report by Philippine Star said.

“There was trouble in flight; there was some smoke emerging from the cabin, and it needed to turn back. It landed in Haneda in Japan,” Dizon said in an interview on radio station dzRH.

Dizon said the 355 passengers on board and the crew were all safe.

Authorities worked closely with Haneda Airport officials to ensure a smooth and safe disembarkation.

The doors to the plane were also opened to let the smoke out, the report said.

Dizon disclosed that he already contacted Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo to request accommodations for passengers while the situation was addressed.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has been instructed to investigate the incident thoroughly, said Dizon.

In a statement, PAL said the smoke came from one of the plane’s two air conditioning units.

"Rest assured that we are in full coordination with Philippine government authorities through the office of the DOTR Secretary and local airport authorities in Haneda," PAL said.