Boeing 767 accident near San Francisco, California, June 28, 2008
On June 28, 2008 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Boeing 767, registered N799AX, was destroyed in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near San Francisco, California (San Francisco International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The design of the supplemental oxygen system hoses and the lack of positive separation between electrical wiring and electrically conductive oxygen system components. The lack of positive separation allowed a short circuit to breach a combustible oxygen hose, release oxygen, and initiate a fire in the supernumerary compartment that rapidly spread to other areas. Contributing to this accident was the Federal Aviation Administration’s failure to require the installation of nonconductive oxygen hoses after the safety issue concerning conductive hoses was initially identified by Boeing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2008 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- San Francisco, California · San Francisco International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767 281 · all 767s on the register
- Registration
- N799AX · no longer on the register · serial 23432
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Safety Board’s full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-09/04/SUM. On June 28, 2008, about 2215 Pacific daylight time, an ABX Air Boeing 767-200, N799AX, operating as flight 1611 from San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California, experienced a ground fire before engine startup. The captain and the first officer evacuated the airplane through the cockpit windows and were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The cargo flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. At the time of the fire, the airplane was parked near a loading facility, all of the cargo to be transported on the flight had been loaded, and the doors had been shut.
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
What happened, in order
- Electrical system malf/failure during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during standing (engine(s) start-up)
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during standing (engine(s) start-up)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Oxygen system › Passenger oxygen system › Design
- factor Organizational issues › Development › Selection/certification/testing › Equip certification/testing › FAA/Regulator
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fire protection system › Smoke, detection › Not specified
- Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › (general) › Operator
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Flight time: 11,469 hours in all
- Last flight review: February 18, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 5,275 hours in all
- Last flight review: April 18, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 47,068 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 28, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 347,000 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: General Electric CF6-80A (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CF6-80A (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Abx Air
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.