The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) is probing an incident involving an Atlas Air Boeing 747 freighter which suffered damage after its main landing gear tyre burst while taking off.
The 747-400F (N404KZ) was operating cargo flight 5Y7106 from Tokyo Narita airport to Los Angeles when the 13 August incident happened.
Shortly after the aircraft took off at around 21:39 local time on 12 August, the flight crew discovered a malfunction in the aircraft’s hydraulic system, with cabin pressure falling below the normal levels during flight.
Crew members subsequently declared an emergency and returned to Tokyo. The jet landed at 01:12 on 13 August and remained stationary on Runway 16R, forcing the runway to be shut for over six hours until the jet was towed away.
According to the agency, the aircraft suffered a burst tyre on its left main landing gear, causing damage to the fuselage.
It did not state when the burst tyre occurred, but Japanese media reports suggest this took place as the aircraft departed Tokyo, which caused tyre fragments to litter the runway. Eyewitness accounts also point to sparks being emitted as the aircraft landed on Runway 16R.
There were no casualties from the event, says the JTSB. The aircraft was carrying seven crew members.
According to Cirium fleets data, the 747 freighter (MSN34283) entered service in 2007 with Nippon Cargo Airlines. The jet – powered by four GE Aerospace CF6 engines – then operated for Atlas Air in 2017.
