A jet's carbon-composite fiber fuselage burned on a Tokyo runway. Is the material safe?
The fuselage of the jetliner involved in a collision on a Tokyo runway was made from carbon-composite fibers, and the incident is renewing concern about the challenges of putting out fires involving the material.
The fire is shaping up as a key test of the safety of composite materials compared with conventional airplane fuselages made of aluminum.
Investigators appear to be focusing immediately on communication between the pilots of both planes and air traffic controllers at Haneda Airport. A transcript A350 had permission to use the runway but the Japanese coast guard plane did not.
