Boeing 747-123 incident near Anchorage, Alaska, December 29, 2004
On December 29, 2004 at about 9:41 pm local time, a Boeing 747-123, registered N858FT, suffered minor damage in an incident near Anchorage, Alaska (Ted Stevens International Airp airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of a high-pressure fuel line fitting, which resulted in an engine fire during takeoff/initial climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2004 · about 9:41 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Ted Stevens International Airp · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-123 · all 747-123s on the register
- Registration
- N858FT · registry record · serial 20109
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 14 CFR Part 121 international cargo flight had an under-cowl fire in the number four engine during takeoff. The crew shut down the engine, activated the fire extinguishing system, and returned to the airport. An inspection of the engine disclosed that the entire outboard engine cowl was missing, and the engine had extensive fire damage. A fuel tube to the oil cooler was observed to have separated from the coupler attaching it to the oil cooler, leaving a gap of about one-half inch. The oil cooler uses the heat-exchange principle, exchanging heat via high quantity fuel flow. The fuel tube is about one and one-quarter inches in diameter, and has a working pressure of about 200 psi. Separation of the fuel tube assembly connection occurred at the brazed sleeve joint between the ferrule and the fuel tube. An examination and X-ray mapping revealed that the brazed joint did not meet the minimum requirement for filler material adhesion required in Aerospace Material Specification (AMS) 2664F for silver brazing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all; 16,000 in this make and model; 161 in the last 90 days; 74 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 13,500 hours in all; 1,250 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 50 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 750,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PANC Anchorage AK
- Destination: RKSO Osan Air Base
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.38 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from PANC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.