Boeing 747-400 HL741
11 November 1998 · Anchorage, Alaska, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 11 November 1998 at about 05:33 local time, a Boeing 747-400 registered HL741, operated by Asiana Airlines, was involved in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska, United States. 250 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 05:33
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Anchorage International (ANC)
- Coordinates
- 61.1607, -149.9892
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-400
- Registration
- HL741
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 4
- Operator
- Asiana Airlines
- Operating rule
- Part 129: Foreign
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- New York → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Night/Bright
- NTSB number
- ANC99FA012
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 249 |
Probable cause
The excessive taxi speed by the pilot-in-command. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot's inadequate maneuver to avoid the parked airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The Boeing 747-400 was taxiing to Gate N-6, after landing on runway 6R. The flight crew reported to the tower that braking action on the runway was poor. While taxiing to the parking ramp, the captain commented to the first officer that the airplane was skidding. As the airplane approached Gate N-6, ground personnel observed the airplane's nosewheels turn 90 degrees toward the gate, but the airplane continued straight ahead, skidding the nosewheels sideways. Ground personnel heard, and the Flight Data Recorder confirmed, an increase in engine power as the airplane continued past the gate. The airplane was then observed turning right, away from the terminal, and colliding with a parked IL-62M airplane. A cleaning person aboard the IL-62M received minor injuries when she was knocked down by the collision. The crew told the NTSB investigator-in-charge that they did not use brakes until attempting to turn away from the parked airplane. Ground witnesses described the taxi speed as "faster than normal." The maximum ground speed recorded by the on-board recorders was 16 knots. The company flight manual states, in part: "(1) Turning... 10 knots or below (5 knots if wet or slippery)." Snow contamination was recorded by the airport authority commencing 11 hours prior to the accident. The airport "Snow Removal Plan" denotes the lead-in lines to the terminal as a Priority 1-A area. Continuous snow removal operations were being conducted at the time of the accident, with all Priority 1 areas, and numerous Priority II areas being plowed and treated. The lead-in taxi lines to the terminal had been sanded five hours prior to the accident. The ramp area, and the lead-in taxi lines had not been plowed. One hour after the accident, about 2 inches of unbroken snow was on the ramp.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 747-400 747-400 | HL741 | Asiana Airlines | Substantial |
| Ilyushin IL-62 IL-62 | RA865 | - | Destroyed |
Other Boeing 747 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 1998 | Boeing 747SP | Mopzambique, Mozambique | Linhas Aereas de Mocambique | No injuries | - |
| 1 Dec 1998 | Boeing 747-259B | Miami, Florida, United States | Tower Air | No injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 1998 | Boeing 747-200 | Atlantic Ocean | Tower Air Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Aug 1998 | Boeing 747-400 | Seoul, Republic Of Korea | Korean Airlines | Unknown | - |
| 30 Nov 1998 | Boeing 747-400 | Jamaica, New York, United States | Asiana Airlines | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1998 | Boeing 747-400 | Cologne, Germany | United Parcel Service | Unknown | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov 1998 | Piper PA-12 | Willow, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Feb 1998 | Cessna 207 | Homer, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Nov 1998 | Piper PA-18-150 | Kenai, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 1998 | Taylorcraft BL12 | Sitka, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 May 1998 | Cessna 208 | Nome, Alaska, United States | Baker Aviation Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 May 1998 | Cessna 172M | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |