Hong Kong aviation investigators say an engine problem that caused Cathay Pacific to ground its entire fleet of Airbus A350 jets for inspection earlier this month could have escalated into “extensive damage.

A midair engine fire on a Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. flight earlier this month could have spread and caused widespread damage to the plane, a preliminary report said, as investigations continue into the incident and the failed components.

A probe by Hong Kong's aviation accident investigation agency revealed Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350 engine failed in-flight due to a ruptured fuel hose which also showed signs of a fire, the agency's report stated on Thursday.

An engine fire on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 earlier this month was the result of a fuel leak and could have caused extensive damage to the plane, according to investigators. Hong Kong’s flagship airline grounded planes after being forced to turn a flight around a couple of weeks ago because of an "engine component failure".