Boeing 747 accident near Taipai, Tw, March 4, 2010
On March 4, 2010, a Boeing 747, registered B18723, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Taipai (Anchorage Interantional Airpor airport). It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 3 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
- March 4, 2010
- Place
- Taipai, Taiwan · Anchorage Interantional Airpor
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747 400 · all 747s on the register
- Registration
- B18723 · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On March 4, 2010, China Airline flight 5233, a Boeing 747-400, registration B-18723 and operating as a cargo flight, experienced a tail strike during takeoff from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane continued to its intended destination of Taoyuan International Airport (TPE/RCTP), Taipei, Taiwan. There were no injuries to the crew, and the airplane received substantial damage. The investigation is being conducted by the Taiwan Aviation Safety Council. 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
What happened, in order
- Tailstrike during takeoff
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: China Airlines LTD
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage
- Destination: TPE Taipei
- 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 | 3 |
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.