Boeing 747-300 PHBUU

Summary

On 17 October 1991 at about 19:06 local time, a Boeing 747-300 registered PHBUU, operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airline, was involved in an incident near Houston, Texas, United States. 154 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 October 1991 at 19:06

Classification

Incident

Location

Houston, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Houston (IAH)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Boeing 747-300

Registration

PHBUU

Category

Airplane

Engines

4

Operator

KLM Royal Dutch Airline

Operating rule

Part 129: Foreign

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mexico City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW92IA010

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN AND HIS FAILURE TO INITIATE A GO AROUND TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. A FACTOR WAS THE LOW ALTITUDE AT WHICH HE INITIATED THE SIDE STEP MANEUVER FOR WHICH HE WAS CLEARED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT ALLOWED THE RIGHT OUTBOARD ENGINE POD TO DRAG ON THE RUNWAY WHILE LANDING. THE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT EXECUTED A ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 14 AND WHEN THEY WERE HANDED OVER TO THE TOWER, THEY REQUESTED A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 8. THE TOWER CLEARED THE FLIGHT FOR THE SIDE STEP MANEUVER. THE CAPTAIN DELAYED INITIATING THE SIDE STEP MANEUVER UNTIL HE WAS 350 FEET AGL, AND BANKED THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT, ATTAINING A BANK OF 32.6 DEGREES, FOLLOWED BY 20.8 DEGREES BANK TO THE RIGHT AT 18 FEET AGL. FINAL APPROACH ALIGNMENT WAS NOT OBTAINED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO DRAG ON THE RUNWAY. A FIRE ERUPTED IN THE BOTTOM AFT SECTION OF THE ENGINE COWLING AS A RESULT OF A BROKEN FUEL FILTER DRAIN LINE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITH ONBOARD FIRE SUPPRESSANTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.