19990726023259I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Boeing 747-245F · Phoenix, AZ · July 26, 1999

Date: July 26, 1999 · 11:45 local
Place: Phoenix, AZ
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N638FE
Reported as: Boeing 747245F
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney JT9D70A
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,500 total1,000 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N638FERegistration cancelled Sep 27, 2002 · Boeing 747-245FS/N 21841 · Built 1979 Airframe modelBoeing 747-245F Engine modelPratt & Whitney JT9D-3ATurbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Aircraft climbing through 34000 ft @ .84 mach, 30 miles nw of pxr VOR on J92, pilot report sudden airframe shudder. Left inbd flap vibrating visibly, vibration increasing as it went inbd. Acft was slowed to .60 mach and vibration stopped. Acft diverted to everett (paine field), WA. Ground inspection found left inbd aft trailing edge panel and inbd fore and midflap damaged. Aft portion on the upper trailing edge panel, 8FT by 3FT had disbonded and departed acft. New crew injuries. Meteorological conditions not a factor.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT CLIMBING THROUGH 34000 FT @ .84 MACH, 30 MILES NW OF PXR VOR ON J92, PILOT REPORT SUDDEN AIRFRAME SHUDDER. LEFT INBD FLAP VIBRATING VISIBLY, VIBRATION INCREASING AS IT WENT INBD. ACFT WAS SLOWED TO .60 MACH AND VIBRATION STOPPED. ACFT DIVERTED TO EVERETT (PAINE FIELD), WA. GROUND INSPECTION FOUND LEFT INBD AFT TRAILING EDGE PANEL AND INBD FORE AND MIDFLAP DAMAGED. AFT PORTION ON THE UPPER TRAILING EDGE PANEL, 8FT BY 3FT HAD DISBONDED AND DEPARTED ACFT. NEW CREW INJURIES. METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS NOT A FACTOR.

Other reports on N638FE · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19930201004709INormal Cruise · Honolulu, HIFound nr 26 leading edge flap panel was missing, on landing. Pilot did not notice any unusual handling.Feb 1, 1993 · Minor damage