- Date
- May 2, 1988, 18:16 local (19:16 UTC)
- Place
- Nr Tokyo, Japan
- Injuries
- 258 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N157UABoeing 747-123
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 15889
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
United flt 97 experienced indications of uneven fuel flow from main tanks 2 and 3 at FL360 beginning about 4- hours after departure on an 11-hour transpacific flight. The fuel system had been set up for all engine feed from the nos 2 and 3 tanks. Although it was later established that the number 2 crossfeed valve failed in the closed position, the s/o informed the capt that the intransit light had illuminated when the valve selector was moved to the closed position - indicating normal crossfeed valve operation. Fuel system problem was misdiagnosed as a problem of faulty fuel gage indications. Fuel monitoring indicated insufficient fuel flow from no 2 tank when crossfeeding. Engs 1, 3, and 4 flamed out when fuel was expended from all tanks except no 2. Emergency descent was made to destination Tokyo-narita airport. Crew reported they used flaps-20, but dfdr showed flaps-1 was used for landing. 3 tires blew on landing. All 3 flightcrew qualified in the B-747 in the 13-months before the incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N157UA
- Reported as
- Boeing 747-123
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20106
- Airframe hours
- 39,950
- Engine
- P&W JT9D-7A, 49,960 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- United Airlines
- Registered owner
- United Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- LAX · Los Angeles, CA
- Destination
- NRT · Tokyo, Japan, OF
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- NRT · Tokyo-Narita, runway 34
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 194 in this make and model · 11 in the last 30 days · 11 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles