Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Anchorage, Alaska 99502
Friday, December 15, 1989 11:48 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
BFR TKOF, CREW OF KLM FLT 867 ADZD OF VOLCANIC ERUPTION ABT 100 MI SW OF DESTN. EN ROUTE, FLT ADZD OF ANOTHER ERUPTION. FOR ARR, FLT CLRD TO DSCND FM FL390 AT PLT'S DISCRETION; VCTR GIVEN TO AVOID LAST KNOWN AREA OF ASH CLD. DRG DSCNT THRU FL260, FLT ENCTRD ASH CLD; ASH/SMOKE ENTERED COCKPIT/CABIN. CREW DONNED O2 MASKS; USED MAX PWR TO CLB. 1 MIN LTR, ALL ENGS LOST PWR (TO 28%-30% RPM); THERE WAS ELEC PWR INTRPN, LOSS OF AIRSPD INDCN, FIRE WARNING ALARM FOR FWD CARGO AREA. AFTER 8-9 ATMTS & DSCNT TO 13,300', ALL ENGS RESTARTED & FLT CONTD TO SAFE LDNG. DMG FND ON EXTERNAL SFCS OF ACFT & IN HI PRES TURBINES OF ALL ENGS. BOEING OMB #747-B2-4, ADZD TO AVOID VOLCANIC ACTIVITY; BUT IF ENCTRD, RETARDING THRUST TO IDLE WLD RDC BLDUP IN ENG & IMPROVE STALL MARGIN. ATC RADAR COULD ONLY DETECT VOLCANIC ASH FOR 5-10 MIN AFTER ERUPTION; ACFT RADAR NOT DESIGNED TO DETECT ASH. ASH CLD FCST TO MOV NNE AT 60 KTS; REVIEW OF SATELLITE DATA SHOWED IT ACTUALLY MOVED AT ABT 120 KTS. KLM HAD NO PROC FOR 747 ENCTR WITH ASH CLD & NO ADNL INSTRNS WERE GIVEN TO KLM CREWS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
INADVERTENT ENCOUNTER WITH VOLCANIC ASH CLOUD, WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE FROM FOREIGN MATERIAL (FOREIGN OBJECT) AND SUBSEQUENT COMPRESSOR STALLING OF ALL ENGINES. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LACK OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ASH CLOUD TO ALL PERSONNEL INVOLVED.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/15/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1148 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | ANCHORAGE |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99502 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1150 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TKA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 358 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 25 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 245 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 6012 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 15 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1155 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41866 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | PHBFC |
| NTSB Number | ANC90FA020 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 129: Foreign |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 747-400 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 747-400 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23982 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 792000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Foreign Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 293 |
| Number of Engines | 4 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 24 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 227 |
| Airframe Hours | 7050 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | POB 7700 1117 ZL SCHIPHOL ARPT |
| Aircraft Owner City | THE NETHERLANDS |
| Aircraft Owner State | OF |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | KRDF |
| 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 | Passenger/Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | EHAM |
| Departure City | AMSTERDAM |
| Departure State | OF |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 337 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | ANC |
| Destination City | ANCHORAGE |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |