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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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NTSB Report

December 28, 2001 · Boeing 747-128 · N3203Y

Anchorage, AK

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
December 28, 2001
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (3 uninjured)
Location
Anchorage, AK
Aircraft
Boeing 747-128
Tail Number
N3203Y
Operator
Evergreen International Airlines
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ANC02LA008

The flight crew of a Boeing 747 cargo airplane made a scheduled fuel stop in Anchorage, Alaska, in preparation for the final leg of the flight to Travis AFB. The accident airplane was refueled with about 100,000 lbs. of fuel. During takeoff in Anchorage, the tail of the airplane struck the runway, and sustained substantial damage. A postaccident investigation revealed that prior to departure, the crew failed to account for the weight of the additional fuel, and inadvertently used the same performance cards that were used for the previous landing. The crew was unaware that the tail had struck the runway until after arrival at Travis AFB.

NTSB Probable Cause

The flight crew's inadequate preflight planning, and failure to calculate the airplane weight and balance prior to departure.

Full Narrative

On December 28, 2001, about 0727 Alaska standard time, a Boeing 747-128 airplane, N3203Y, sustained substantial damage as a result of a tail strike during takeoff from the Ted Stevens International Airport, Anchorage, Alaska. The flight was being conducted as an instrument (IFR) cross-country cargo flight under Title 14, CFR Part 121, operated by Evergreen International Airlines, Inc., as Flight 203. There were no injuries to the two pilots, or the one flight engineer aboard. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight plan had been filed. The flight originated about 0712, from the Ted Stevens International Airport, and was en route to Travis Air Force Base (AFB), California. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on January 31, the operator's chief pilot reported that after the accident airplane arrived in Anchorage, the airplane was refueled with about 100,000 lbs. of fuel in preparation for the final leg of the flight to Travis AFB. He said that prior to departure, the crew failed to account for the weight of the additional fuel, and inadvertently used the same performance cards that were used for the previous landing. He added that the crew was unaware that the tail had struck the runway until after arrival at Travis AFB. The airplane's tail sustained substantial damage as a result of the tail strike. The airplane was flown to Marana, Arizona, for repairs.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time02:27 AKST
Nearest AirportTed Stevens Int'L Airport (0nm)
Runway32
Runway Length10696 ft
Runway Width150 ft
Flight Plan FiledIFR
Flight Plan ActivatedYes
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftBoeing 747-128
Tail NumberN3203Y
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorEvergreen International Airlines
Operating RulePart 121
Engines4
Engine TypeTurbofan
Engine DetailsPratt & Whitney · JT9D-7F · Turbofan · 46750
Seats8

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (3 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured3
Total3
Crew 1Age 46 · First Class · None
Crew 2Age 54 · First Class · None
Crew 3Age 49 · None

Conditions

ConditionsIMC
LightNight
Wind360° @ 3 kt
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point30 C / 0 C
Altimeter0
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data