Chao told reporters that the military took prompt emergency action after a small fire erupted in two of the main tires on the right rear of the aircraft, and that no one aboard the plane was hurt.

He said an initial check showed that the problem was caused by overheating of the brake rotors, and not because the plane was outdated.

The military has asked the government-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. to assess the problem and will carry out a comprehensive overhaul in the areas of personnel, maintenance and equipment to ensure safety, Chao added.

Before the plane took off, it had been thoroughly checked and has passed all the tests, according to Chao.

Su Wen-fu, an official of the ROC Air Force Command Headquarters responsible for supervision and inspection, said that an initial investigation has ruled out the possibility that the problem was caused by human or environmental factors.

Su said the plane took off at 1 p.m. from Songshan Air Base and landed on the runway at the Taichung airport at 1: 28 p.m when the fire was spotted and put out by ground crews.

He said that everyone people aboard was safe and they all disembarked in accordance with standard procedure.

A special task force has been formed to conduct an investigation into the incident, according to Su.

President Ma was unaware of the situation during the landing but was informed later.

The president subsequently ordered the military to carry out a comprehensive check of the aircraft, according to Chao.

At a skills competition award ceremony Monday, when asked about the incident, Ma said that everything is usually OK once calm is maintained in an emergency.

(By Sophia Yeh, Sinyao Shih, and Y.L. Kao)