Boeing B747-200 accident near Brussels, Be, May 25, 2008
On May 25, 2008 at about 9:43 am local time, a Boeing B747-200, registered N704CK, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Brussels. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2008 · about 9:43 am local time
- Place
- Brussels, Belgium · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing B747-200
- Registration
- N704CK · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
import
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
- Birdstrike during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Kalitta Air
The flight
- Departed from: Brussels
- Destination: Bahrain
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 N704CK 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.