Boeing 747 incident near Newark, New Jersey, April 20, 2008
On April 20, 2008 at about 2:15 am local time, a Boeing 747, registered N704CK, suffered minor damage in an incident during initial climb near Newark, New Jersey (Newark Liberty International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An engine fire in the No. 3 engine due to the failure of, and subsequent flammable fluid leak from, one of three fuel or hydraulic lines located in the engine's accessory raceway that ignited when the fluid came in contact with the hot engine cases. Contributing to the incident were the lack of adequate inspection and test requirements and appropriate life limit or inspection interval requirements by the manufacturer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2008 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Newark, New Jersey · Newark Liberty International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747 747-209F · all 747s on the register
- Registration
- N704CK · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The cargo airplane experienced an in-flight engine fire in the No. 3 engine during climb. The flight crew declared an emergency, shut down the engine, discharged two engine fire suppression bottles to extinguish the fire, and dumped fuel in preparation for landing. The aircraft landed without incident and there were no reported injuries. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed that heat distress and fire damage localized in an area of the engine's accessory raceway where various oil, fuel, and hydraulic lines and hoses were located. The lines and hoses were pressure tested to isolate the source(s) of the flammable fluid leak and three tubes were found to leak. Those three tubes were sent to the manufacturer for further evaluation; however, due to the extensive fire damage, it could not be determined which of the three tubes was the original source of the flammable fluid leak. There were no life limit or required pressure tests in place for any of the three tubes.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during initial climb defining event
- Engine shutdown during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › Manufacturer
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Resources › Availability of documents/info › Manufacturer
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › (general) › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Hydraulic power system › (general) › Not specified
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Kalitta Air LLC
The flight
- Departed from: EWR Newark NJ
- Destination: BRH Brussels
- 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 | 5 |
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 N704CK 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.