Boeing 747 accident near Madinah, SA, February 16, 2011
On February 16, 2011, a Boeing 747, registered HZAIS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Madinah (Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 278 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
- February 16, 2011
- Place
- Madinah, Saudi Arabia · Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 278 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747 300 · all 747s on the register
- Registration
- HZAIS · 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 February 16, 2011, a Saudi Arabian Airlines, Boeing 747-300, registration HZ-AIS, exited the runway at taxiway B and entered the sandy area after landing on runway 17 at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport (OEMA), Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. There were no injuries to the 260 passengers and 17 crewmembers onboard, but the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from King Khaled International Airport (OERK), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The investigation is being conducted by the General Authority of Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The NTSB has appointed an Accredited Representative to assist the investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Manufacture and Design of the airplane. All requests for information should be directed to: General Authority of Civil Aviation Safety Department P.O. Box 887, Jeddah, 21421 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Phone: +966-2-685-5509
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
- Operator: Saudi Arabian Airlines CORP
The flight
- Departed from: OERK Riyadh
- Destination: OMEL Madinah
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 17
- 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 16 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 260 |
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 HZAIS 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.