Boeing 747-400 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, April 12, 1997
On April 12, 1997 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Boeing 747-400, registered VRHUK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Anchorage International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight collision with a large bird.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 1997 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Anchorage International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-400 · all 747-400s on the register
- Registration
- VRHUK · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A foreign registered, international cargo flight, operated under Title 14 CFR Part 129, landed during visual meteorological conditions. After taxiing to parking, the crew noticed damage to the left wing. Examination of the damage revealed evidence of a large bird strike. The leading edge of the left wing, about 2 feet outboard of the number 2 engine, was dented and buckled. Several rivets were broken, and the leading edge spar was damaged. A small portion of upper wing composite material was missing. The crew indicated no bird impact was noticed during the landing approach. The landing lights were utilized during the approach. The airport's automatic terminal information service (ATIS) included a caution about birds in the vicinity of the airport.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,526 hours in all; 3,015 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 9,251 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme
- Maximum gross weight: 871,167 lb
- Seats: 25
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB211-524G (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HKG Hong Kong
- Destination: ANC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 |
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.