LAX Baggage Accident: Japan Airlines Flight Ingests Luggage Container

LOS ANGELES — Authorities say a metal baggage container was sucked into an engine of a Boeing 747 at Los Angeles International Airport.

No one was injured.

Marshall Lowe, an airport spokesman, says the incident occurred as Japan Airlines Flight 61 to Narita, Japan, was pushing back from a terminal about 1:30 p.m.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says a baggage cart was being towed nearby at the same time and the engine ingested one of its containers.

The big metal container became lodged in the outer left-side engine of the four-engine jet.

The 245 passengers were taken back to the terminal.

Federal investigators were examining the jet.

Comments

[getalong]

If you google the words "Japan" and News," you run into the craziest stuff in the world.

[hibbiejibbies]

now that's a powerful plane!

[goodneighbor420]

Thats where my luggage went

[Sirkll]

I trained for a week up in Portland to become a "Ramp Agent" when Menzies broke the Alaskan Airline Union Contract in Seattle a few years back. I was part of a "Strike Force" I think they called it. Worst thing I have ever done. They rush those guys to turn those planes around way too fast, and if there is no contract, I imagine those people loading baggage and doing push back aren't being paid very much. I worried about making a mistake, but I was slow and old. If I remember right it is timed as to who's responsible if a plane is not turned around "On Schedule", and I think money then became an issue. Not a fun job to have, and I'm surprised more accidents like this do not happen.

[ramper]

I have seen this before. Those containers are light when empty and you can slide them around by hand. If it was not for locks on the cart dollies they would be rolling all over the place.

[bubalu]

Cool.

[HC4BO]

Nothing like allowing pilots who have consistently FAILED their examinations fly us around ...

How safe do you feel ... ?

[Philm35]

Wow, that sucks.

[GeoLee]

Apparently so %^)

[allier10]

Nom nom nom nom.

[Chi-townfool]

Somebodies better get water boarded over this!

[sockman]

"Be careful when opening Engine compartment because luggage may have shifted during take off or landing."

[kappa08]

another reason to support a high speed rail system....

[derrickhoyle]

That would be one expensive train to Japan.

[zitlight73]

Maybe that's what happened to all the trillions of dollars the Fed made off with since last fall.

[WeAreTheBorg]

It happens every once in awhile. It looks like an LD-3, but its hard to be sure from those pictures. They only weigh a few hundred pounds when empty. They are lucky that they didn;t have an uncontained fan failure...­known to you folks as an "explosion­." A turbine can explode like a shrapnel grenade when something like this happens.
A 747-400 at high thrust can easily suck a person into the intake if they are standing too close. I've seen hats, coats and equipment get strained through turbines in my time. It's an expensive mistake to make...six­-figures expensive. I've also seen vehicles and people blown over, and smaller parked aircraft get "spun" by heavies when taxiing out, if the crew gooses the throttle too much.
Most airlines give their people a lot of training before letting them drive around aircraft. In theory, people are supposed to drive at walking speed when within five feet of an airplane.
Hitting a plane with equipment is another expensive thing to do. Those tugs are very heavily built and airplanes are strong, but fragile in some ways. Indeed, the average person can push a screwdriver through a jet's skin in some places if thep punch it hard enough.
I spent 25 years in the airlines outside and in, as a supervisor and a trainer. I was good and Iucky. I never hit or damaged an airplane.

[bunnylogic]

lol! you guys are such geeks!