Boeing 747-209B incident near Bogota, CO, August 26, 2008
On August 26, 2008 at about 6:35 am local time, a Boeing 747-209B, registered N715CK, was involved in an incident during takeoff near Bogota (El Dorado International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The combination of fan blade edge contour, variable blade trim, and the high altitude, which resulted in an engine surge.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 2008 · about 6:35 am local time
- Place
- Bogota, Colombia · El Dorado International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-209B · all 747-209Bs on the register
- Registration
- N715CK · registry record · serial 22447
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Just after takeoff from a high-altitude airport, as the landing gear were being retracted, a “loud bang” emanated from the vicinity of the No. 3 turbofan engine. The exhaust gas temperature rose, followed by three or four lesser bangs, all of which indicated an engine stall/surge. The engine was secured in accordance with the checklist procedure, fuel was dumped, and the airplane returned to the airport without further incident. On-wing test bed testing first established a performance baseline for the engine, which was then tested with newly overhauled fan blades installed, and subsequently tested with a newly overhauled fan case installed in order to assess the effects of changing fan blade geometry and fan blade-to-fan case clearance. Initial testing of the engine did not result in an engine surge or any engine exceedences. An engine vane control trim check revealed that it was within the parameters for most of the engine power range, except for above the 90 percent corrected N2 speed, where it was slightly below the minimum value. Because the results did not significantly impact testing, the engine was not re-trimmed prior to testing the engine with new fan blades and a new fan case. Tests revealed that fan blade contour and shape had a bigger influence on the engine’s surge margin and low pressure compressor (LPC) stability line than the fan blade-to-fan case clearance variations within the range of test conditions. Fan blades that were within the engine manual limits – rounder leading edges with little to no erosion and proper chord length – had improved LPC efficiency and engine stability. The last engine test was conducted with the compressor variable vanes re-trimmed open, and within limits at the high speed range, with the results indicating further improvement in LPC efficiency and stability. While no single variable likely resulted in the engine surge, several variables, including blade edge contour, variable blade trim and high altitude, likely combined to produce the stall/surge.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Malfunction
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,147 hours in all; 2,591 in this make and model; 124 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 8,895 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 30, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 499 in this make and model; 118 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 30, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight Engineer
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 87,617 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 679,845 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7Q (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7Q (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 3: Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7Q (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 4: Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7Q (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kalitta Flying Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: SKBO Bogota at 3:37 am
- Destination: KMIA Miami FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31L, 12,467 ft by 148 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 am from SKBO
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.
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.