Us cargo plane makes emergency landing Japan Narita Airport runway closed

Japan's Narita airport has closed one of its two runways after an American cargo plane made an emergency landing because of a hydraulic problem.

A transport ministry spokesman said an Atlas Air Boeing 747 cargo plane bound for Los Angeles returned to Narita Airport for an emergency landing after experiencing problems at 1.10am (010am Singapore time) on Tuesday.

"The seven crew members of the Boeing 747 were not injured, but the tyre was ruptured and the wheel was damaged," a transport ministry spokesman told AFP.

Runway A at Narita Airport was closed for at least seven hours, but "the tires have been changed and the runway is expected to be back in use by 8:30 a.m." He added that the closure of the runway would have minimal impact on other flights.

There were no immediate details about the plane's mechanical problems.

The incident follows the closure of the runway at Narita Airport on Monday due to a malfunction in the braking system of a Singapore Airlines plane. Smoke was seen on the left side of Singapore Airlines flight SQ638 as it landed at Tokyo's Narita International Airport early Monday. Fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene, but rescuers found no sign of fire and no one was injured. According to Singapore Airlines, the plane had a technical problem with the braking system, which was later changed and resolved.

Runway B at Narita airport was closed for nearly an hour after the plane landed around 7:40 a.m., airport and fire officials said.