What happened
On October 20, 2012, a Boeing 737-800, registration JA342J, operated by JAL Express, departed from Tokyo International Airport. During the climb phase, the flight crew declared an emergency following the failure of the number one engine. The pilot reported receiving warnings for high exhaust gas temperature and low engine RPM.
The crew followed the procedures outlined in the flight crew operating manual and successfully shut down the number one engine. The aircraft returned to Tokyo International Airport and completed a single-engine landing without further incident. There were no injuries reported among the 144 passengers and crew members on board.
The investigation
Preliminary inspections conducted by ground crews revealed damage to the turbine blades and the high pressure compressor. The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) is conducting the investigation. The NTSB was notified of the event because the United States is the state of manufacture and design for several components of the CFM56-7B engine.