20090511006859I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Boeing 747446 · Los Angeles, CA · May 11, 2009

Date: May 11, 2009 · 13:32 local
Place: Los Angeles, CA
Airport: Los Angeles International
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: Foreign air carrier (Part 129)
Operator: JACF
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: JA892
Reported as: Boeing 747446
People aboard: 169
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,833 total2,869 in this make and model108 in the last 90 days

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) After push back and disconnect from tow tractor aircraft began taxi from spot on taxiway "c" to turn right on taxiway "q". Ground support tug towing 4 dollies came to a stop in the intersecting service road crossing taxiway "c" to await an opportunity to merge with traffic on the east/west service road. Unknown to driver he allowed the last dolly containing a baggage container unit load device (uld) to obstruct the active taxiway. As jal flight n#61 began to taxi #1 engine struck the uld and sucked it into the intake duct of the engine. While the container did not come into contact with the rotating fan, debris from inside the container did pass through the fan causing minor foreign object damage to several blades on the fan. A thorough borescope examination of the engine core showed that there was no debris or FOD within the engine gas generator. Jal replaced the inlet duct and installed a complete set of new fan blades on the number one engine.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AFTER PUSH BACK AND DISCONNECT FROM TOW TRACTOR AIRCRAFT BEGAN TAXI FROM SPOT ON TAXIWAY "C" TO TURN RIGHT ON TAXIWAY "Q". GROUND SUPPORT TUG TOWING 4 DOLLIES CAME TO A STOP IN THE INTERSECTING SERVICE ROAD CROSSING TAXIWAY "C" TO AWAIT AN OPPORTUNITY TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC ON THE EAST/WEST SERVICE ROAD. UNKNOWN TO DRIVER HE ALLOWED THE LAST DOLLY CONTAINING A BAGGAGE CONTAINER UNIT LOAD DEVICE (ULD) TO OBSTRUCT THE ACTIVE TAXIWAY. AS JAL FLIGHT N#61 BEGAN TO TAXI #1 ENGINE STRUCK THE ULD AND SUCKED IT INTO THE INTAKE DUCT OF THE ENGINE. WHILE THE CONTAINER DID NOT COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE ROTATING FAN, DEBRIS FROM INSIDE THE CONTAINER DID PASS THROUGH THE FAN CAUSING MINOR FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE TO SEVERAL BLADES ON THE FAN. A THOROUGH BORESCOPE EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE CORE SHOWED THAT THERE WAS NO DEBRIS OR FOD WITHIN THE ENGINE GAS GENERATOR. JAL REPLACED THE INLET DUCT AND INSTALLED A COMPLETE SET OF NEW FAN BLADES ON THE NUMBER ONE ENGINE.