The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB ENG12WA027 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Boeing 747 incident near London England, Gb, July 9, 2012

On July 9, 2012 at about 10:08 pm local time, a Boeing 747, registered N4XELD, was involved in an incident near London England (Heathrow airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. The NTSB record does not give the injuries.

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. 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
July 9, 2012 · about 10:08 pm local time
Place
London England, United Kingdom · Heathrow
Type
Incident
Injuries
The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Boeing 747 458 · all 747s on the register
Registration
N4XELD · no longer on the register · serial 29328
Damage
Not recorded
Flight
Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules

The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record

On July 9, 2012, at 22:08 UTC, an EL-AL Israel Airlines Boeing 747-400, registration number 4X-ELD, flight No. LY-318, powered by four Pratt & Whitney PW4056 tubofan engines, experienced a No. 4 (right outboard) engine failure 20 minutes after takefoff from Heathrow International Airport (LHR). The pilot received an indication of loss of thrust(N1 went to zero)from the No. 4 engine along with sounds coming from the No. 4 engine. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the government of Israel. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Ministry of Transport Chief Investigator P.O. Box 120 Ben Gurion International Airport 70100 Israel Tel.: (972) 3-975-1380 (972) 50-621-2329 (24 hours mobile) E-mail: razchik@mot.gov.il Fax: (972) 3-760-4442 AFTN: LLADYAYX Telex: 381000 CAATS IL Cable: MEMTEUFA-BENGURION AIRPORT-ISRAEL This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information obtained for, or released by, the Government of 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

The flight

  • Departed from: LHR London England
  • Destination: TLV Tel Aviv
  • Flight plan: IFR

Weather at the time

  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

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.