
3:07 am on Sunday July 29, 2012
| Posted by Ken Hawkins
Mystery fire at Charleston runway delays Saturday flights (Update: Blame Boeing)
Image by Flickr user kevin dooley
Update: The cause has been found.
Those taking Saturday afternoon flights to and from Charleston International Airport had a nasty surprise: runway delays, diversion, and closure from 4:07 to 5:41.
A departing flight hit mystery debris that sparked a small grass fire just off the runway.
The Post and Courier has a short report (paywall).
A runway closure is never a good thing, and Charleston usually has two, but one was already closed for repair and renovation since June 18.
Update: The cause of the fire is being attributed a mystery object that dropped out of a Boeing 787 undergoing engine tests.