Boeing 747-100 N481EV
19 January 1999 · Fairbanks, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 19 January 1999 at about 07:26 local time, a Boeing 747-100 registered N481EV, operated by Evergreen Int'l Airlines, Inc., was involved in an incident near Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. 4 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.
The record
- Date
- at 07:26
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Fairbanks Int'l Airport (FAI)
- Coordinates
- 64.9004, -148.1605
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-100
- Registration
- N481EV
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 4
- Operator
- Evergreen Int'l Airlines, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Chitose → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- ANC99IA025
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
The improper overhaul of the thrust reverser pneumatic drive unit, and the subsequent failure of the thrust reverser actuator. Factors associated with the incident were the inadequate quality assurance procedures by the overhaul company.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
After landing, the number four engine thrust reverser remained deployed. A tailpipe fire occurred, with no reported cockpit indications of either the fire or the extended reverser. Ground personnel notified the crew of the fire, and the engine was shut down. A teardown inspection revealed that the thrust reverser pneumatic drive unit (PDU) had been incorrectly assembled at the previous overhaul, 113 hours and 26 cycles prior to failure. The required stroke of the PDU interlock mechanism is 1.318 to 1.326 inches. At disassembly, the stroke was measured to be 1.230 inches. This stroke is required to allow the gear change mechanism to fully shift (from extend, to retract). The PDU retract pawl fracture surfaces were indicative of overstress. The lowest ambient surface temperature the airplane had been exposed to at the various airports during the 26 landing cycles had been -13 degrees Fahrenheit. The surface temperature during the failure of the PDU was -27 degrees Fahrenheit.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Boeing 747 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1999 | Boeing 747-200F | Stansted, United Kingdom | Korean Airlines, Inc. | Fatal | 4 |
| 29 Jul 1999 | Boeing 747-269B | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1999 | Boeing 747-400 | Bangkok, Thailand | Qantas Airlines, Inc. | Unknown | - |
| 8 Feb 1999 | Boeing 747-200 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Elal | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 1999 | Boeing 747-4F6B | Los Angeles, California, United States | Philippine Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 1999 | Boeing 747SP | Taipei, Taiwan | China Airlines | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 May 1999 | Piper PA-24-260 | Juneau, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 24 May 1999 | Stinson 108 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Glenn A. Ferris | Fatal | 1 |
| 29 May 1999 | De Havilland DHC 2 MK III | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | William A. Sego | No injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 1999 | Cessna 170B | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 1999 | Piper PA-18 | Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States | James T. Ables | No injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 1999 | Cessna 180G | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |