Boeing 747-269B incident near Manaus, Br, March 22, 1997
On March 22, 1997 at about 10:44 am local time, a Boeing 747-269B, registered N707CK, suffered minor damage in an incident near Manaus (Eduardo Gomez Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot-in-command's (non-flying pilot) improper flare. Related factors were inadequate crew/coordination, haze and sunglare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 1997 · about 10:44 am local time
- Place
- Manaus, Brazil · Eduardo Gomez Airport
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-269B · all 747-269Bs on the register
- Registration
- N707CK · registry record · serial 21541
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flightcrew reported that the landing was into the early morning sun approximately 30 minutes after local sunrise. They reported that the glare from the sun was intense and the flying pilot installed his windshield sun shade at the other marker. They said that the 1,000 foot and 500 foot call outs were made with confirmation of the runway in sight. The flying pilot continued to fly on instruments to decision height. They said that at approximately 1,000 feet the glare increased with low haze and the forward visibility decreased. The flying pilot considered the airplane to be in the correct attitude for landing; however, the non-flying (PIC) took control prior to touchdown and flared the airplane when he saw no apparent flare. The airplane then touched down hard. A readout of the Flight Data Recorder revealed touchdown produced 2.77 'G.' The data indicated that the sink rate increased when the non-flying pilot moved the control column aft in an attempt to flare the airplane.
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: 21,596 hours in all; 870 in this make and model; 94 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 17,545 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 53,947 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 6, 1997; 106 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 800,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D-7J (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIA Miami FL at 6:52 am
- Destination: SBEG
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 81°F (27°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N707CK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.