Summary Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 freighter suffers hydraulic failure and burst tires while taking off from Tokyo Narita. The plane landed safely but remained disabled on the runway for hours. Series of tire bursts involving Atlas Air has raised concerns.
An Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 freighter suffered a hydraulic failure as it was climbing out of Tokyo Narita Airport, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing. Tires on the plane's landing gear also reportedly burst during takeoff, causing damage to the aircraft's fuselage. Hydraulic failure and tire fragments The Boeing 747-400F - registration N404KX - was operating flight 5Y7106 from Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on the evening of August 12th when the incident occurred.
Shortly after taking off from Tokyo Narita at 21:39, the freighter's hydraulic system malfunctioned and the flight crew declared an emergency. The aircraft stopped its climb and reduced to FL100 before entering a holding pattern for over three hours to dump fuel. It landed back at Tokyo Narita at 01:12 the next morning, with eyewitnesses seeing sparks on the runway as the plane landed.
The aircraft then became disabled on the runway and would remain there for several hours before being towed away. A spokesperson for Japan's Transport Ministry said, "The seven crew members of the Boeing 747 were not injured, but tires were found ruptured and the wheels damaged..
. tires were changed and the operation of the runway is expected to resume at 08:30." None of the plane's seven crew members were harmed during the incident; however, the aircraft has been on the ground for over 12 days and counting since the incident occurred.
Tokyo Narita's Runway 16R was shut down for around seven hours as teams removed tire fragments and other debris, and the 747 was eventually towed away. Investigation launched The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) has opened an investigation into what it has categorized as an accident . So far, it has confirmed that one of the tires on the plane's left landing gear had burst, damaging the fuselage.
The 17-year-old airframe is owned by Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) and operated by Atlas Air. Atlas Air has come under scrutiny for a series of tire bursts recently. Other incidents involving an Atlas Air 747 in recent months include: On June 17th, a 747-400F made an emergency landing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) after suffering a multiple hydraulic system failure and several blown tires.
On June 11th, a 747-400F experienced hydraulic failure climbing out of Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN), as well as three burst tires. On June 2nd, a 747-400F made an emergency landing at LAX due to a blown tire. It was able to taxi itself upon landing.
The airport's northern runway has now reopened for commercial flights. When an airline experiences multiple safety incidents within a short space of time, authorities like the FAA will usually conduct an enhanced review, as occurred with United Airlines earlier this year..
