A jet’s carbon-composite fiber fuselage burned on a Tokyo runway. Is the material safe?

The fuselage of the jetliner involved in a collision on a Tokyo runway was made from carbon-composite fibers, and the incident is renewing concern about the challenges of putting out fires involving the material.

The fire is shaping up as a key test of the safety of composite materials compared with conventional airplane fuselages made of aluminum.

Investigators appear to be focusing immediately on communication between the pilots of both planes and air traffic controllers at Haneda Airport. A transcript released Wednesday indicated that the landing Japan Airlines A350 had permission to use the runway but the Japanese coast guard plane did not.

Safety experts are praising the airline’s crew after everybody was able to escape the burning jetliner. Five people on the coast guard plane were killed.

Composites have been used for many years inside commercial planes, such as the floorboards and other structures.

Boeing built the first commercial plane with a fuselage and wings made from composites reinforced with carbon fibers, the 787. The plane went into airline service in 2011, and about 1,100 have been produced.

Airbus followed in 2018 with the A350 — like the two-year-old plane involved in Tuesday’s collision — and has sold about 570 of them.

WHAT IS THE MATERIAL?

In airplanes, composite materials contain carbon fiber to give more strength to plastic and other materials. According to Boeing, they produce weight savings of about 20% compared with aluminum — a significant amount, considering how much less fuel a lighter plane will burn.

ARE THERE CONCERNS?

The strength of composites was tested during certification by regulators including the Federal Aviation Administration, and Boeing said it made changes in the 787 as a result,