Japan plane drops engine fragments on take-off

TOKYO, Japan -- A Japanese airliner suffering engine trouble during takeoff dropped pieces of metal to the ground, injuring one man in central Japan.

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The Japan Airlines DC-10 was forced to turn back and landed at the Nagoya airport without injuries to people on board after one of its engines developed trouble on Wednesday, an airport official said.

Japanese media said small metal fragments from the engine fell on a factory and a petrol stand near the airport, smashing a car's windscreen, but no major damage was reported.

One man suffered light burns after touching one of the pieces, NHK national television said, but there were no reports of other injuries.

"The cause is being investigated," the airport official said, adding that there was no fire in the engine and no signal for an emergency landing.

A Japan Airlines spokesman said the engine was a Pratt and Whitney JT9D-59A. "This is a very reliable engine," he said. "It's been in service for years."

Reuters contributed to this report.