Polar Air Cargo will put into service in December a Boeing 747-200 freighter which was written off by its insurers a year ago after a mercury spill was found in its cargo bay.
The 1979-build 747-200F was being operated by Southern Air Transport when, during routine maintenance in February 1996, extensive mercury contamination was discovered below the main cargo deck. The aircraft had suffered a mercury spill about a month before the contamination was discovered, but had been returned to service when the liquid metal had been recovered from below the aft maindeck cargo door sill.
Because of the damage, the insurers deemed the aircraft to be a constructive total loss. Since then, the 747 - serial number 21827, a relatively sought-after -200F delivered new as a freighter equipped with Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7Q engines and both nose and side-cargo doors - has been repaired by Evergreen Air Center in Marana, Arizona, and sold to Wetmore Finance.
It has also been to the Matrix plant in Tijuana, Mexico, for extensive maintenance work.
The aircraft, which was remarketed by Fortis Aviation, will re-enter service with Polar in December on a 63-month operating lease.
Source: Flight International
