Editing Boeing 747 (section)

== Accidents and incidents ==
{{main|Boeing 747 hull losses}}

{{As of|2023|11|df=US}}, the 747 has been involved in 173 [[aviation accidents and incidents]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boeing 747 occurrences |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/dblist.php?Type=104 |access-date=January 1, 2024 |publisher=Flight Safety Foundation}}</ref> including 64 [[hull loss]]es (52 in-flight accidents),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boeing 747 hull-loss occurrences |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/dblist.php?field=typecode&var=104%&cat=%1&sorteer=datekey&page=1 |access-date=January 1, 2024 |publisher=Flight Safety Foundation}}</ref> causing {{formatnum:{{#expr:2865+857+24}}}} fatalities.<ref name="ASNstats">{{Cite web |title=Boeing 747 Statistics |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/type/type-stat.php?type=104 |access-date=January 1, 2024 |publisher=Flight Safety Foundation}}</ref> There have been several hijackings of Boeing 747s, such as [[Pan Am Flight 73]], a 747-100 hijacked by four terrorists, resulting in 20 deaths.<ref name="ASN_Pan_Am">{{Cite web |date=August 30, 2017 |title=ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-121 N656PA Karachi-Quaid-E-Azam International Airport |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19860905-0 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |publisher=Aviation-safety.net}}</ref> The 747 also fell victim to several mid-air bombings, two of which resulted in major fatalities and hull losses, [[Air India Flight 182]] in 1985, and [[Pan Am Flight 103]] in 1988.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19850623-2|title= Air India Flight 182 - Aviation Safety Network}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19881221-0|title= Pan Am Flight 103 - Aviation Safety Network}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19941211-5|title= Philippine Air Lines Flight 434 - Aviation Safety Network}}</ref>

The deadliest aviation accident, [[Tenerife airport disaster|the Tenerife airport disaster]], resulted from pilot error and communications failure, while the [[Japan Air Lines Flight 123]] and [[China Airlines Flight 611]] crashes stemmed from improper aircraft repair due to a tail-strike. [[Korean Air Lines Flight 007]] was shot down by a Soviet fighter aircraft in 1983 after it had strayed into Soviet territory, causing US President Ronald Reagan to authorize the then-strictly-military [[global positioning system]] (GPS) for civilian use.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a26980/why-the-military-released-gps-to-the-public/|title=Why the Military Released GPS to the Public|first=Juquai|last=McDuffie|date=June 19, 2017|website=Popular Mechanics|access-date=June 14, 2022|archive-date=January 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128214307/https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a26980/why-the-military-released-gps-to-the-public/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[South African Airways Flight 295]], a 747-200M Combi, which crashed on 28 November 1987 due to an inflight fire, led to the mandate of adding fire-suppression systems on board Combi variants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://accidents-ll.faa.gov/ll_main.cfm?TabID=3&CategoryID=18&LLID=33|title=Lessons Learned From Transport Airplane Accidents: Fire|publisher=[[Federal Aviation Administration]]|access-date=25 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130225223803/http://accidents-ll.faa.gov/ll_main.cfm?TabID=3&CategoryID=18&LLID=33|archive-date=25 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/0/F216CB41A2C82E168625696F0071E803?OpenDocument&Highlight=93-07-15|publisher=[[Federal Aviation Administration]]|title=Airworthiness Directive 93-07-15|date=2 May 1993|access-date=25 July 2011|archive-date=29 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129004331/http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/0/F216CB41A2C82E168625696F0071E803?OpenDocument&Highlight=93-07-15|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A handful of crashes have been attributed to 747 design flaws, mainly older 747 classic (100/200/300/SP) variants. [[United Airlines Flight 811]], which suffered an [[uncontrolled decompression|explosive decompression]] mid-flight on February 24, 1989, led the [[National Transportation Safety Board]] (NTSB) to issue a recommendation that the Boeing 747-100 and 747-200 cargo doors similar to those on the Flight 811 aircraft be modified to those featured on the Boeing {{not a typo|747-400}}. [[TWA Flight 800]], a 747-100 that exploded in mid-air on July 17, 1996 due to sparking from the old and cracked electrical wires inside the fuel tank, where voltage levels exceeded the maximum limit, causing ignition of the fuel vapors inside the tank.<ref name="TWA_800_final">{{Cite journal |date=August 23, 2000 |title=Aircraft Accident Report: In-flight Breakup Over the Atlantic Ocean Trans World Airlines Flight 800 |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2000/AAR0003.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=NTSB/Aar-00/03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615201201/https://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2000/AAR0003.pdf |archive-date=June 15, 2013 |access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> This finding led the FAA to adopt a rule in July 2008 requiring installation of an [[inerting system]] in the center fuel tank of most large aircraft, after years of research into solutions. At the time, the new safety system was expected to cost US$100,000 to $450,000 per aircraft and weigh approximately {{convert|200|lb|kg}}.<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121621918865158639 "Airlines Ordered to Cut Fuel-Tank Explosion Risk"]. ''Wall Street Journal'', July 17, 2008, p. B5. Note: Cargo aircraft and smaller regional jets and commuter aircraft are not subject to this rule.</ref> Two 747-200F freighters - [[China Airlines Flight 358]] in December 1991 and [[El Al Flight 1862]] in October 1992, crashed after the fuse pins for an engine (no. 3) broke off shortly after take-off due to metal fatigue, and instead of simply dropping away from the wing, the engine knocked off the adjacent engine and damaged the wing.<ref name="ASN_Bijlmer">{{Cite web |title=ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-258F 4X-AXG Amsterdam |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19921004-2 |access-date=December 9, 2013 |publisher=Aviation-safety.net}}</ref> Following these crashes, Boeing issued a directive to examine and replace all fuse pins found to be cracked. The lack of adequate warning systems combined with flight crew error led to a preventable crash of [[Lufthansa Flight 540]] in November 1974, which was the first fatal crash of a 747,<ref name="GainJet">{{cite journal|url=http://gainjet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BlueSkies_03.pdf|title=Case Study: Lufthansa - Flight 540 - Boeing 747-130, November 20, 1974 |publisher=GainJet Aviation|periodical=Blue Skies: GainJet Aviation Safety Magazine|date=13 January 2022 |issue=3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The First B-747 Goes Down Just After Takeoff|url=http://avstop.com/news/gd.html|website=avstop.com|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref> while an instrument malfunction leading to crew disorientation caused the crash of [[Air India Flight 855]] on New Years Day in 1978.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19741120-0 |title= Lufthansa Flight 540 |website= Aviation Safety Network}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19780101-1|title= Air India Flight 855 |website= Aviation Safety Network}}</ref> 

Other incidents did not result in any hull losses, but the planes suffered certain damages and were put back into service after repair. On July 30, 1971, [[Pan Am Flight 845]] struck approach lighting system structures while taking off from San Francisco for Tokyo, Japan; the plane dumped fuel and landed back. The cause was pilot error with improper calculations, and the plane was repaired and returned to service.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19710730-2|title= Pan Am Flight 845 - Aviation Safety Network}}</ref> On June 24, 1982, [[British Airways Flight 009|British Airways Flight 9]], a Boeing 747-200, registration ''G-BDXH'', flew through a cloud of volcanic ash and dust from the eruption of [[Galunggung|Mount Galunggung]], suffering an all engine flameout; the crew restarted the engines and successfully landed at Jakarta. The volcanic ash caused windscreens to be sandblasted along with engine damage and paint rip-off; the plane was repaired with engines replaced and returned to service.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19820624-0|title= British Airways Flight 9 - Aviation Service Network}}</ref> On December 11, 1994, on board [[Philippine Airlines Flight 434]] from Manila to Tokyo via Cebu, a bomb exploded under a seat, killing one passenger; the plane landed safely at Okinawa despite damage to the plane's controls. The bomber, [[Ramzi Yousef]], was caught on 7 February 1995 in Islamabad, Pakistan, and the plane was repaired, but converted for cargo use.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19941211-5 |title= Philippine Airlines Flight 434 - Airline Safety Network}}</ref>