The Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) today (July 8) published the final report (1/2020) on the investigation into an aircraft serious incident that occurred at Hong Kong International Airport, involving a Boeing 747-8KZF freighter (registration mark JA18KZ) operated by Nippon Cargo Airlines on March 29, 2018.
The serious incident occurred just before touchdown at about 50 feet above ground level at Runway 07L. The No. 3 engine fire warning message appeared on the Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System. The crew landed the aircraft and vacated Runway 07L to the intersection of Taxiway A8 and Taxiway A. The crew then informed air traffic control of the fire warning. The occurrence was classified as a serious incident according to the criteria of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
A spokesman for the AAIA said, "The investigation report was published by the AAIA with the objective of identifying the circumstances and causes of the serious incident with a view to preventing a recurrence."
The investigation was conducted by a team of professional investigators in strict adherence to international standards established by the ICAO. The investigation identified that the probable cause of the serious incident was leaked fuel from a crack on a fuel manifold on the No. 3 engine having been ignited due to contact with the hot surface of the combustion diffuser nozzle case during landing when the undercowl ventilation flows were low. The crack was not detected in the last two ultrasonic inspections in accordance with Service Bulletin 73-0034. To improve the reliability of the ultrasonic testing inspection, the investigation team has made one safety recommendation to the engine manufacturer to verify that the calibration, the range of echo and the rejection level are able to capture the full range and scope of the inspection task.
Throughout the investigation, all parties concerned were properly consulted on the report. The report is available for download at the AAIA webpage (www.thb.gov.hk/aaia/eng/investigation_reports/index.htm).
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