Boeing 747 incident near Brussels, Be, October 27, 2008
On October 27, 2008, a Boeing 747, registered OOCBA, was substantially damaged in an incident near Brussels (Brussels International Airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 6 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 incident. 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
- October 27, 2008
- Place
- Brussels, Belgium · Brussels International Airport
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747 200F · all 747s on the register
- Registration
- OOCBA · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 27, 2008, a Cargo B Boeing 747-200F, registration OO-CBA, experienced a tail strike during takeoff from Brussels International Airport (EBBR), Brussels, Belgium. There were no injuries to the 6 persons onboard, and the airplane received substantial damage. The flight’s intended destination was Dakar-Yoff - Leopol Sedar Senghor International Airport (GOOY) The investigation is being conducted by the Belgium Air Accident Investigation Unit. The NTSB has assigned an Accredited Representative to assist the investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the Country of Manufacture and Design of 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
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: EBBR Brussels
- Destination: GOOY Dakae
- Flight plan: IFR
- 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 | 5 | |||
| 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.
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.