Boeing 747 accident near Tel Aviv, Il, January 31, 2012
On January 31, 2012 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Boeing 747, registered N4XELF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tel Aviv. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 2 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
- January 31, 2012 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747 409F · all 747s on the register
- Registration
- N4XELF · 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 January 31, 2012, at about 1900 UTC, a B747-400F cargo airplane, registration 4X-ELF, operated be El Al Airlines, located at Ben Gurion Tel Aviv Airport, was being inspected for a hydraulic leak that occurred during the flight from Chillagoe, Australia. During the inspection, a large crack in the right-hand body landing gear outer cylinder was noted. There were no injuries reported. 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
- Operator: El Al Israel Airlines LTD
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.