NTSB Blames Boeing 747 Engine Fire on Shoddy Maintenance Work

Agency has published its final report on a January engine fire incident.

Ryan Ewing

Monday, October 21, 2024 at 02:07 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A Boeing 747-8 freighter aircraft [Credit: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera]

Key Takeaways:

An Atlas Air Boeing 747 experienced an engine fire, which the NTSB attributed to an improperly installed borescope plug.
The NTSB determined the plug was left loose following a borescope inspection performed by a third-party maintenance contractor just four days prior to the incident.
The aircraft returned safely to Miami with no injuries, despite minor engine damage, and was back in service nine days later.

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The National Transportation Safety Board said an improperly installed borescope plug led to a January engine fire on an Atlas Air Boeing 747. Maintenance on the aircraft had been performed just four days before the incident.

On January 18, Atlas Air Flight 3885 was between Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the crew received a fire indication in the Boeing 747-8F’s No. 2 engine at approximately 3,000 feet. An emergency was declared and the aircraft returned to Miami with no injuries reported.