Japanese plane evacuated after smoke fills cabin

Tokyo, May 21 (IANS)�Passengers on board the All Nippon Airways' (ANA) Boeing 767 aircraft were evacuated at a Japanese airport prior to its departure on Monday after the plane's cabin was filled with smoke.

Minutes after the aircraft's doors had been closed, 137 passengers who had boarded Flight 809 -- scheduled to depart from Narita airport to Hong Kong -- had to be evacuated, Xinhua news agency reported.

"As soon as the plane's doors closed, smoke came billowing out of the air conditioner and the inside of the plane quickly became filled with white smoke," a passenger was quoted as saying.�

"There was a smell of burning machinery, so I covered my nose and mouth with a handkerchief," he added.

At least four of those evacuated back to the terminal at 10 a.m., complained about feeling ill after inhaling smoke but no one was hospitalised, an official said.

Japanese Tourism Ministry said there was no sign of fire but upon probe of the grounded plane, an oil leakage was found that had occurred in the auxiliary engine at the rear of the plane.

An ANA official said the airline was also conducting their own investigation.