Boeing 777 accident near Tel Aviv, Il, May 23, 2011
On May 23, 2011 at about 2:30 am local time, a Boeing 777, registered N4XECD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tel Aviv. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 283 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 23, 2011 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 283 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777 · all 777s on the register
- Registration
- N4XECD · 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 May 23, 2011 at 0230 local time, a Boeing 777-800, registration 4X-ECD, operated by El Al airlines, after takeoff on a regular scheduled passenger flight from Tel Aviv to Newark, returned to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport after the left main landing gear failed to retract. Prior to landing, the airplane dumped fuel and a in-flight confirmation of landing gear extension was performed by an Israeli F16. The flight landed without incident and there were no injuries. Upon inspection of the landing gear that failed to retract, a structural failure in the upper portion of the left main landing gear where it enters the forward trunnion was noted. The failed part was removed from the airplane for futher examination. The investigation is being conducted by the State of Israel, Ministry of Transport. 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 and engines. All requests for information should be directed to: State of Israel Ministry of Transport PO Box 120 Ben Gurion Airport Tel Aviv, Israel
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: fixed
The flight
- 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 | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 279 |
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.