ENG26FA034

On August 15, 2026, 1755 Alaska Daylight Time, a China Airlines Flight Number CI-5265, Boeing 747-400F, registration B-18725, powered by four GE Aerospace CF6-80C2B1F turbofan engines, experienced an inflight fire indication during the initial climb from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (PANC). There were no injuries to the 4 crewmembers, and the airplane sustained minor damage. The flight was an international cargo flight from ANC to Taoyuan International Airport (RCTP), Taiwan. According to the pilot, after takeoff at about 5,500ft above mean sea level (MSL), there was an audible fire warning and an "ENG FIRE 3" Engine-Indicating and Crew-Alerting System (EICAS) warning indication illuminated. The crew discharged one fire extinguishing bottle and shutdown the No. 3 engine. During the inflight shutdown procedure, electrical AC Bus Tie 3 tripped and electrical AC Bus 3 de-energized, which resulted in the left-hand autopilot disengaging and the loss of multiple instruments on the captain’s side. The crew engaged the Center autopilot and declared Mayday with air traffic control (ATC). ATC vectored the airplane to a holding pattern to jettison fuel prior to landing, but the fuel jettison control system failed. With the No. 3 engine fire warning no longer illuminated following discharge of the fire extinguishing bottle, the airplane remained in a holding pattern to burn enough fuel to be under the overweight landing limits at PANC. The airplane landed uneventfully approximately two hours after takeoff. A post incident examination of the airplane by maintenance personnel revealed fire damage to a lower section of the left-hand engine cowl and evidence of an undercowl fire on the left-hand side of the engine. The NTSB traveled to the incident site. As part of the investigative process, the NTSB invited qualified parties to participate in the investigation. These included representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), GE Aerospace, and Boeing. The Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB), representing the State of the Operator, assigned an Accredited Representative; the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) of Taiwan and China Airlines were named as a technical advisor by the TTSB. The investigation team traveled to ANC to examine the airplane. A pressurization check of the fuel manifolds with nitrogen gas revealed a crack in the left-hand (inboard) fuel manifold tube, located adjacent to fuel nozzle number 24 at approximately the 9 o’clock position on the engine. The engine was later removed from the airplane and shipped to an engine repair and overhaul facility for further examination. This investigation is ongoing..