- A One Air Boeing 747-400 freighter experienced a technical issue mid-flight, losing two generators.
- The aircraft returned to service two days later and continued its flight to Hong Kong.
- It is the airline's second 747-400F, but is currently its only aircraft in service.
A Boeing 747-400 freighter operated by British all-cargo airline One Air was briefly taken out of service following a technical issue mid-flight on Thursday. During a journey from London to Hong Kong, the aircraft lost two generators, prompting crews to divert to Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Two days after the incident, the quadjet returned to service, continuing its flight to Hong Kong. According to multiple reports, the plane is One Air’s second 747-400F and was delivered to the airline late last year.
Flight path
According to The Aviation Herald, the aircraft, registered as G-ONEE, was operating as One Air flight 211 (HC211) on February 8th. It departed from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) at 07:32 – a half hour past its scheduled departure time of 07:00, according to Flightradar24.com. The freighter taxied to Runway 9R and was airborne at 07:54. Heading east, it turned slightly south and continued, passing London. 15 minutes after takeoff, the 747 was climbing through 19,000 feet and had just passed the coast of the North Sea. Minutes later, it reached 25,000 feet (FL250) but abruptly stopped its climb.
Before reaching Belgium, G-ONEE remained at FL250 but turned back around, heading west. Back near England, the plane turned northwest and flew east of Cambridge before turning around once more – heading east. It maintained FL250 until it reached the North Sea again and then started its descent. Flight data indicates that the freighter was placed into a holding pattern for about 10 minutes near the Netherlands coast. During that time, it descended to 2,375 feet and then finally lined up for its final approach at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS).
The cause of the incident
The aircraft landed safely on Runway 06 at approximately 10:14 local time, about one hour and 20 minutes after takeoff. According to The Aviation Herald, the crew reported they lost two of the aircraft’s four generators, leading to no lateral navigation. As a result, they had requested radar vectors and reportedly planned to return to London. However, the crew later advised that a fuel dump was unnecessary, prompting them to turn again and divert to AMS.
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Generalities about what pilots think about in an emergency.It is unclear if the aircraft could taxi to a parking area under its own power, but it remained on the ground for about 48 hours as it likely underwent inspections and repairs.
UPDATE: 2024/02/10 13:54 PST BY CHANNING REID
A One Air spokesperson confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday.
"We can confirm that our aircraft G-ONEE, which departed London Heathrow to Hong Kong on Friday morning, was diverted to Amsterdam Schiphol after the crew identified a electrical issue with the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely in Amsterdam. We commend our crew for their professionalism and thank the local Air Traffic Control in Amsterdam for their assistance."
According to Flightradar24.com, G-ONEE returned to service on Saturday, continuing HC211 to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). The aircraft departed AMS at 10:26 with a scheduled arrival time of 05:00 at HKG on Sunday.
Just two 747s
The aircraft is 32 years old, according to ch-aviation. It formerly operated with Aerotranscargo before being re-registered to One Air last September. As the carrier’s second 747-400F, it began operations in December, “offering full charter services connecting Hong Kong and London Heathrow,” One Air said.
G-ONEE, however, is the airline’s currently only aircraft in service as its other freighter, G-UNET, is “stored” due to maintenance, according to ch-aviation. The plane has been grounded since January, and a timeframe on when it might return to service is unknown. To support its growing demand, One Air’s Chairman and CEO Paul Bennett explained the airline hopes to receive a third freighter in the coming weeks.
“...Subject to gaining the necessary regulatory approvals, our aim is to add a third B747-400F in Q1 2024,” Bennett said. “We already have sufficient demand for a third aircraft, so our growth strategy at this stage is very much on track.”
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