- Date
- June 28, 2008, 10:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- San Francisco, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N799AXBoeing 767
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Electrical system malf/failure
- Status
- Completed · report March 28, 2010
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- Boeing, FAA
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 20080628839489A
- Case key
- 68326
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The design of the supplemental oxygen system hoses and the lack of positive separation between electrical wiring and electrically conductive oxygen system components. The lack of positive separation allowed a short circuit to breach a combustible oxygen hose, release oxygen, and initiate a fire in the supernumerary compartment that rapidly spread to other areas. Contributing to this accident was the Federal Aviation Administration’s failure to require the installation of nonconductive oxygen hoses after the safety issue concerning conductive hoses was initially identified by Boeing.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The Safety Board’s full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-09/04/SUM. On June 28, 2008, about 2215 Pacific daylight time, an ABX Air Boeing 767-200, N799AX, operating as flight 1611 from San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California, experienced a ground fire before engine startup. The captain and the first officer evacuated the airplane through the cockpit windows and were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The cargo flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. At the time of the fire, the airplane was parked near a loading facility, all of the cargo to be transported on the flight had been loaded, and the doors had been shut.
Factual narrative
The Safety Board’s full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-09/04/SUM. On June 28, 2008, about 2215 Pacific daylight time, an ABX Air Boeing 767-200, N799AX, operating as flight 1611 from San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California, experienced a ground fire before engine startup. The captain and the first officer evacuated the airplane through the cockpit windows and were not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The cargo flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. At the time of the fire, the airplane was parked near a loading facility, all of the cargo to be transported on the flight had been loaded, and the doors had been shut.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N799AX
- Reported as
- Boeing 767 (281)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23432
- Airframe hours
- 47,068
- Engines
- general electric CF6-80A, turbo jetgeneral electric CF6-80A, turbo jet
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- ABX Air, doing business as Dhl
- Registered owner
- ABX Air, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · June 28, 2008
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- SFO · San Francisco International
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 18, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,469 total
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 18, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,275 total
Docket · 41
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 25, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 48.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.