A China Airlines Boeing 747-400F sustained damage to its engine number 2 following a crash into a baggage cart while taxiing Friday morning at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). According to the Chicago Department of Aviation, there were no injuries related to the incident that happened around 06:30.

What happened?

According to local reports, the aircraft involved in the incident was a Boeing 747-400F, registration B-18715. The jumbo aircraft sustained damage to its engine number 2 after colliding with a baggage cart while taxiing at O’Hare. As shown in images posted on social media, the damage to the engine was extensive.

The Boeing 747-400F had landed after operating flight CI5240 between Taipei and Chicago via Anchorage. According to data shown by Radarbox.com, the flight departed from Taipei at 10:30 local time on January 27, 2022. It first landed in Anchorage at 22:25 before leaving again towards Chicago, where the incident took place.

Fortunately, there were no injuries reported due to the incident, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

Since the incident, the aircraft has been on the ground. Simple Flying reached out to China Airlines for comment. We have not received an answer at the moment of publishing this article. We’ll keep you updated if that changes.

China Airlines Boeing 747-400 fleet

China Airlines is a carrier founded in 1959 that has its base at Taipei Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). It serves 27 countries, with 84 destinations and 128 routes, according to data provided by ch-aviation.

Currently, the airline has a fleet of 88 aircraft, including 18 Boeing 747-400 used for freighter operations. Besides B-18715, which was involved in today’s incident in Chicago, another of China Airlines’ B747 is currently under maintenance, B-18723. The remaining planes are active.

B-18715 was a plane first ordered by China Airlines on November 28, 2002. One year later, in August 2003, it had its first flight, and Boeing delivered it to the carrier. China Airlines has confirmed it will retire the aircraft in 2027.

As of November 2021, B-18715 had 77,862 total hours and 14,244 flight cycles. In 2021, the aircraft totaled 4,588.06 hours and 923 cycles, a 9% and 12.3% increase compared to the use it had in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Worldwide, the cargo segment has rebounded faster and, in fact, is growing compared to its pre-pandemic trends.

China Airlines, Boeing 747-400F, Retirement
According to the new timeline, the oldest aircraft still has a couple of years left. Photo: Vincenzo Pace - Simple Flying

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This is the second incident for the aircraft

In the last 15 days, China Airlines Boeing 747-400, registered as B-18715, has had two unrelated incidents. The first happened on January 16, as the aircraft was taking off as flight CI5240 from Taipei.

According to The Aviation Herald, the jumbo freighter experienced problems on its outboard right-hand engine as it was climbing from Taipei’s runway 05L.

The crew stop climbing at 7,000 feet and shut the engine down after hearing a series of bangs and streaks of flames coming from the engine. Following that, the crew dumped fuel and returned to Taipei safely. The Boeing 747-400 only spent 36 hours on the ground and quickly re-entered service following this incident.

What do you think about China Airlines’ recent incident at Chicago O’Hare International Airport? Let us know in the comments below.