Tuesday, August 13, 2024 Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture faced a temporary closure of one of its two runways on Tuesday after an American cargo plane made an emergency landing due to a hydraulic system issue. The Atlas Air Boeing 747, which was en route to Los Angeles, had to turn back to Narita when the problem was detected at around 1:10 a.m.
, according to a transport ministry spokesman. The spokesman confirmed that the seven crew members aboard the Boeing 747 were unharmed, though the aircraft sustained damage, with ruptured tires and wheels being compromised during the landing. Narita’s runway A was subsequently closed for at least seven hours to address the situation.
Despite the closure, airport officials reported minimal disruption to other flights. The runway was expected to resume operations at 8:30 a.m.
after necessary repairs, including changing the damaged tires, were completed. This incident follows another runway closure at Narita just a day earlier, when a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a brake glitch upon landing. On Monday, Narita’s runway B was closed for just under an hour after the Singapore Airlines plane reported smoke from its brakes upon landing at around 7:40 a.
m. Although fire engines and ambulances were dispatched, no fire was found, and no injuries were reported. The Atlas Air emergency landing and the Singapore Airlines brake issue are unrelated, but both incidents highlight the importance of safety protocols at the busy international airport.
As of now, no further details regarding the specific mechanical issue on the Atlas Air Boeing 747 have been made available. Narita Airport officials continue to monitor the situation closely, ensuring that all safety procedures are followed and that disruptions to flight operations are kept to a minimum..
