Boeing 747-400 accident near Los Angeles, California, December 20, 2005
On December 20, 2005 at about 4:30 am local time, a Boeing 747-400, registered VTAIM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles Intl airport). It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 273 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the incorrect installation of the inflation valve cores in the number 11 and number 12 wheel assemblies that allowed the tires to be operated in an over deflected condition that resulted in their failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2005 · about 4:30 am local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 273 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-400 · all 747-400s on the register
- Registration
- VTAIM · no longer on the register · serial 25074
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The four right main body landing gear tires burst during the takeoff ground roll, and the crew performed a precautionary landing. Pieces of the tires and wheel assemblies penetrated the fuselage structure and the airplane incurred substantial damage. Post accident examination revealed that the valve cores on three of the four inflation valves, including the two aft valves, were not torqued to the manufacturer's specifications and leaked steadily. Examination of the right aft main body landing gear tires (number 11 and 12) showed that they were operated in an over deflected condition at some point prior to the event, which resulted in internal damage to the tires. The aft tires failed first as a result of the internal damage and initiated the accident sequence. Damage to the forward tires was consistent with the tires bursting due to their impact by debris from the aft tires.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,400 hours in all; 2,420 in this make and model; 206 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,430 hours in all; 775 in this make and model; 216 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 54,356 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 1, 2005; 54,055 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 869,999 lb
- Seats: 317
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PW4056-3 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air India
The flight
- Departed from: LAX Los Angeles CA at 4:30 am
- Destination: FRA Frankfurt
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25R, 12,091 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 am from LAX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 17 | |||
| Passengers | 256 |
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.