Cargo fire creates dramatic scene at Hong Kong airport

Cargo equipment burst into flames near an American Airlines Boeing 777-300 in Hong Kong on Monday, creating quite a scene at the airport. 

Despite the dramatic images, however, the fire was contained to the cargo equipment and a pallet that was to be loaded on to the aircraft, according to American spokeswoman Martha Thomas. The fire did not extend to the plane.

The incident came as a cargo loader caught fire, with the flames then spreading to a container on the loader. The operator of the loader suffered injuries that were not life threatening, according to Thomas. The cargo in the pallet was not hazardous.

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The fire started prior to boarding for American Airlines Flight 192, which was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles. Though the fire did not reach the plane, American opted to cancel the flight and take the aircraft out of service “out of an abundance of caution,” Thomas said to Today in the Sky. 

She said all of the affected passengers had already been re-booked on alternate flights to their destinations. Cathay Pacific, one of American’s oneworld alliance partners, operates a major hub at the airport. 
 
AA Flight 192 flight had been scheduled to depart Hong Kong at 6:10 p.m. and land in Los Angeles at 4:30 p.m., all times local.

Officials are investigating what led to the malfunction on the loader.

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