Fire seen after CX flight aborted takeoff
The Cathay Pacific flight that aborted its take-off as it accelerated down the runway at Hong Kong International Airport last month was moving at a safe speed for such an operation, officials said on Monday. Following last month's incident, 11 passengers were injured as the 283 onboard the Boeing 777-300 evacuated the plane via emergency slides.  In a preliminary report on the incident, officials said the pilot aborted the take-off due to an airspeed indicator discrepancy on the flight deck. However, the Air Accident Investigation Authority said the aircraft - travelling at a speed lower than the maximum safe speed for stopping a take-off - saw overheated landing gear brakes and a fire as the flight, which was bound for Los Angeles, returned to the airport terminal.  "As the aircraft taxied back to its parking stand, the crew observed an increasing temperature in the left and right main landing gear brakes, accompanied by progressive deflation of the tires," the report stated. "While waiting for the airbridge to connect to the aircraft, an explosive sound was heard and severe vibrations were felt by the occupants on board. Concurrently, the crew observed a fire at the left main landing gear via the Ground Maneuver Camera System." The government said it would investigate the safety implications of halting a high-speed airliner during takeoff, and review the operator's emergency procedures and practices.