Summary

  • An Atlas Air Boeing 747-400F was forced to return to its origin airport due to hydraulic issues.
  • However, the landing resulted in several blown tires and subsequently, HKG’s northern runway was closed for several hours.
  • The incident resulted in at least 180 flights being disrupted at the airport.

An Atlas Air Boeing 747-400F, operating a flight from Hong Kong to Anchorage, Alaska, United States, returned to its origin airport on June 17, 2024. However, with a hydraulic issue, the aircraft blew several tires while landing on the runway in Hong Kong, causing flight disruptions at the airport.

Hydraulic issues

The Boeing 747-400F, registered as N406KZ, was operating Atlas Air flight 5Y4304 between Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC) on June 17. Having departed the airport at 4:09 local time (UTC +8), the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 32,000 feet (9,753 meters).

Atlas Air Boeing 747-400F landing on a runway shutterstock_668407474

Photo: Gary Rickard | Shutterstock

As it was overflying Taiwan, the aircraft began turning back to HKG. The Aviation Herald reported that the Boeing 747-400F had hydraulic issues, prompting the freighter to return to its origin airport, adding that the incident resulted in at least 180 delayed flights at HKG. According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft never squawked 7700, which would have indicated a general emergency onboard.

Still, before landing at the airport, the Atlas Air freighter entered into a holding pattern to the south of HKG. Eventually, the Boeing 747-400F landed at the airport at 7:12. The flight tracking site’s records showed that the freighter landed on runway 07L/25R, with the tracking of the aircraft stopping as it was on the runway.

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Stopping on the runway

According to an Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) spokesperson, the aircraft had been on the north runway – runway 07L/25R – for several hours, making it unavailable for landings and/or departures for a few hours, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Atlas Air Boeing 747-400F departing Japan shutterstock_1886249710

Photo: viper-zero | Shutterstock

In response to the incident, the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD) published several Notice to Air Missions (NOTAMs) indicating that there was a disabled aircraft on the runway, forcing HKG to use a single runway for its operations.

However, since then, the runway has reopened. Several flights landed around and after 16:00 local time, including an Air Atlanta Icelandic Boeing 747-400 converted freighter, registered as TF-AMN, and a China Eastern Airlines Airbus A320, registered as B-6870.

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Blown tires in Seoul

In a similar incident, another Atlas Air Boeing 747-400F, registered as N429MC, was forced to turn back to Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) after the aircraft also experienced hydraulic issues on June 11.

Upon making an emergency landing at ICN, the aircraft’s tires burst, forcing the closure of one of the airport’s runways. Boeing 747-400F has remained at the airport since the incident. At the same time, N429MC was involved in another tire-related issue while on a flight from ANC to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on June 2.

Atlas Air Boeing 747-4F taxiing on ground

Photo: Mariusz Klarowicz | Shutterstock

In a statement to Simple Flying at the time, an Atlas Air spokesperson confirmed that the flight crew noticed an abnormality with the aircraft’s main landing gear’s (MLG) tires and the Boeing 747-400F landed safely at LAX.

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