American Airlines cancels flight after loading equipment catches fire

Smoke billows from loading equipment after it caught fire next to an American Airlines plane at Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, Oct 8, 2017, in this still image taken from a video obtained from social media. [Photo/Agencies]

HONG KONG - An American Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles was canceled Monday after a piece of loading equipment caught fire while it was preparing to put cargo in the hold of the plane, the airline said. One person was hurt.

The container that was on the loading equipment also caught fire in the process, said Martha Thomas, a spokeswoman for the airline.

The cargo it contained was "non-hazardous," Thomas said, without providing details. She added that the airline was looking into the cause of the mechanical issue that triggered the fire.

Boarding had not yet started and no passengers or crew on Flight 192 were injured, she said.

The operator of the equipment is being treated for "non-life-threatening" injuries, Thomas said.

The flight was scheduled to depart Hong Kong at 6:10 pm local time and arrive at Los Angeles at 4:30 pm local time.

AP