Boeing 767-322 incident near Chicago, Illinois, August 4, 2010
On August 4, 2010 at about 8:47 pm local time, a Boeing 767-322, registered N644UA, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago O'Hare Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 6 people had minor injuries; 184 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the brake fire after landing was caused by hydraulic fluid leaking on to hot brakes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2010 · about 8:47 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago O'Hare Intl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 6 people had minor injuries; 184 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767-322 · all 767-322s on the register
- Registration
- N644UA · registry record · serial 25094
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Flight 949 conducted a normal landing under maximum landing weight and the crew did not receive any warnings or cautions. There were no system anomalies found except for the damaged left-hand brake assembly. Examination of the left brake assembly found that it caught fire due to catalytic oxidation, most likely as a result of the carbon disk being exposed to deicing fluid. The catalytic oxidation allowed the pistons from the brake housing to punch through the softened pressure plate and contact the rotor resulting in piston displacement, possible piston bushing damage and hydraulic fluid leakage. When the 2R slide was unpacked at the manufacturer to determine why it did not fully inflate during the evacuation, the aspirator was found unattached. This was likely removed when the slide was packed for shipping because the slide would not have even partially inflated if it was not installed during the evacuation. When the slide was laid out, the two missing portions of the aspirator spider arms were found within the slide. Analysis of the fracture surfaces on both spider arms found that each had preexisting cracks. These preexisting cracks were stress risers that reduced the strength of the arms. Since the fracture faces contained no evidence of fatigue, the two arms fractured during slide inflation sequence which caused the slide to not properly inflate during the evacuation. The preexisting cracks most likely occurred during the manufacturing process.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Evacuation
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Task environment › (general) › (general) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,962 hours in all; 8,962 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 1, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,985 hours in all; 5,985 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 1, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 82,012 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 28, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 406,900 lb
- Seats: 330
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: P&W PW4000 SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W PW4000 SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LHR London at 11:45 am
- Destination: ORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27L, 7,967 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 10 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 | 172 |
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 N644UA 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.