Anchorage Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Wednesday, May 17, 1989 9:39 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG THE TKOF ROLL, THE CREW FELT A VIBRATION BTN 135 KTS & LIFT-OFF. THEY LEFT THE GEAR EXTDD & WERE ADZD 2 TIRES HAD SEPD FM THE RGT INSIDE MAIN GEAR TRUCK, A 3RD TIRE BLEW OUT & THE 4TH APPEARED INTACT. THEY DUMPED FUEL & LNDD. AN EXAM REVEALED THE TIRES HAD FAILED, RESULTING IN SKIN DMG & BKN HYD LINE(S). CARGO HAD BEEN LOADED WITH MORE PALLETS ON THE RGT SIDE; SOME PALLETS WERE NOT MARKED TO INDC WT OR SHIPPING ID. A COMPUTER PRINT-OUT (SIGNED BY CAPT & STATION AGENT) SHOWED A LATERAL IMBALANCE OF 18,766 LBS. WITH THIS IMBALANCE, GROSS WT SHOULD NOT HAVE EXCEEDED 744,000 LBS; ACTUAL WT WAS 751,316 LBS. AFTER DEPG THE CARGO RAMP, ACFT WAS TAXIED 3 MI IN A STRAIGHT LINE, THEN 2 LEFT TURNS WERE MADE ONTO RWY 6R FOR TKOF. PREVIOUS LOADING CRITERIA PROVIDED 3% ALLOWANCE FOR RANDOM DISPOSABLE LOADS ON PALLETS. IN 1969, FAA ISSUED AN EXEMPTION FM FAR 25.471(B) TO ALLOW BOEING 747'S TO BE LOADED TO DESIGN LIMIT, PROVIDED INSTRNS WERE AVBL TO ASSURE A SYMMETRICAL LOADING. OF 239 KNOWN TIRE FAILURES, 71 INVOLVED THE FLYING TIGER LINE, AN ALL CARGO CARRIER.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF TIRES ON THE RIGHT INSIDE MAIN GEAR TRUCK. A RELATED FACTOR WAS: FAILURE OF OPERATOR/MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL TO FOLLOW PROPER LOADING PROCEDURES, WHICH RESULTED IN AN IMPROPER LATERAL WEIGHT AND BALANCE SITUATION.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 5/17/1989
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 939
Event Time Zone --
Event City ANCHORAGE
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99503
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ANCHORAGE INTL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ANC
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 144
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 20000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 9
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 3
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -6
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 20
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 6
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5054
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 17 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 945
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39914
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:39PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N818FT
NTSB Number ANC89IA071
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Minor
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BOEING
Aircraft Model 747-121
Aircraft Series Identifier 747-121
Aircraft Serial Number 20353
Certified Max Gross Weight 750000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines 4
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Apr 10 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 352
Airframe Hours 47027
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FLYING TIGER LINE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7401 WORLD WAY WEST
Aircraft Owner City LOS ANGELES
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 90009
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name FLYING TIGER LINE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 7401 WORLD WAY WEST
Operator City LOS ANGELES
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 90009
Operator Code FTLA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight International
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code ANC
Departure City ANCHORAGE
Departure State AK
Departure Country
Departure Time 930
Departure Time Zone ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RJAA
Destination City TOKYO,JAPAN
Destination State OF
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 20 2002 12:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 6R
Runway Length 10897
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --