TOKYO – White smoke reported as a plane landed at Japan’s Narita Airport prompted a runway closure on Monday morning, but the airline later blamed glitchy brakes.

Fire engines and ambulances had rushed to the scene after the smoke was reported as coming from the arriving Singapore Airlines plane, though responders found no signs of fire and no one was injured. 

Singapore Airlines later clarified that the flight had “experienced a technical issue with its brakes upon landing”. 

The company’s “ground engineering team resolved the technical issue and replaced one of the tyres on the Boeing 787-10 aircraft,” the airline said.

An airport official told AFP that pieces of the aircraft’s tyre were found on the runway.

Narita’s runway B was closed for just under an hour after the flight landed around 7:40 am (2240 GMT), airport and fire officials said.

Before the brake issue was reported, a fire official told AFP that firefighters had observed the plane for over an hour.

The flight was carrying 260 passengers and 16 crew members. –AFP