An Air China Boeing 747-8 has returned to flight after being grounded for nearly three days at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport following an unusual refueling accident that reportedly damaged the aircraft and caused a fuel spill.
The aircraft involved was B-2486, an 11-year-old 747-8 Intercontinental. It departed JFK for Beijing late on September 2 after arriving in New York on August 30 and subsequently being unable to operate its scheduled return flight.
A fuel truck began moving away from the aircraft while two refueling hoses remained connected to the 747. The incident reportedly damaged the aircraft's refueling ports and spilled fuel onto the apron.
The accident occurred in the early hours of August 31 as the aircraft was being prepared for its return to China. No injuries were reported.
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Air China subsequently canceled the Beijing-bound service, leaving passengers at JFK. The airline reportedly attributed the cancellation to a refueling-related issue in information provided to affected passengers.
The circumstances of the incident have not been detailed publicly by Air China or US authorities. Videos and photographs circulated on Chinese social media showed emergency personnel and equipment around the aircraft following the spill.
747-8 remained at JFK
Flight tracking data help identify B-2486 as the aircraft involved and show the consequences of the incident. The 747-8 arrived at JFK from Beijing as flight CA981 on August 30, landing at 9:47 p.m. local time. Instead of returning to Beijing on its scheduled passenger service, the aircraft remained at JFK while the reported damage was addressed.
B-2486 finally departed New York at 11:25 p.m. on September 2, almost three days after its arrival. The aircraft was flying to Beijing as CA78.
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CA78 does not appear to be a regularly scheduled JFK-Beijing passenger service. Recent flight records show the same flight number being used on unrelated Air China flights within China and with several aircraft types. Its use for B-2486's departure therefore indicates an apparent non-revenue repositioning flight rather than the resumption of the aircraft's normal JFK rotation.
The departure also means reports describing the 747-8 as still grounded at JFK are no longer current. The aircraft was already over Canada on its way to Beijing early on September 3.
Small passenger 747-8 fleet
B-2486 was delivered to Air China in October 2014 and is one of the carrier's Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental passenger aircraft.
The 747-8I has become an increasingly rare aircraft in passenger service. Boeing delivered the passenger version to only three airlines: Lufthansa, Korean Air and Air China. Most 747-8s produced were freighters.
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Air China uses the type on selected long-haul services, including flights between Beijing and New York. The carrier also operates older 747-400s.
The incident at JFK did not involve an accident in flight, but damage caused by ground equipment can require inspections and repairs before an aircraft is released for service. In this case, the 747-8 remained at JFK for almost three days before being cleared to leave for Beijing.
