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.

The engine defect in the Airbus A350 plane that led to the cancellation of dozens of Cathay Pacific flights in early September could have escalated into "extensive damage", according to a Hong Kong probe released Thursday.

Hong Kong's air safety authority said Thursday that a defect in an engine component of a Cathay Pacific Airways Airbus A350 that caused a fire, forcing a Zurich-bound flight to return to Hong Kong, could have caused ''extensive damage'' to the aircraft.

A probe by Hong Kong's aviation authority found a ruptured fuel hose caused a mid-flight fire on a Cathay Pacific operated Airbus A350 plane this month. The aircraft was en-route to Zurich with 348 passengers and crew aboard when the fire was discovered,

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.