Doha Runway Briefly Blocked By Qatar 747-8 After Hydraulic Leak

Simple Flying

By Jay Singh

Published Sep 30, 2020

HONG KONG, CHINA - 2020/03/08: Qatar airways Cargo Boeing 747 aircraft lands at the Hong Kong International airport. Airlines across the globe have cancelled flights, postponed or adjusted their services in response to the coronavirus outbreak. (Photo by May James/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A Qatar Airways Boeing 747-8F briefly blocked a runway at Doha's Hamad International Airport (DOH) after the aircraft suffered a hydraulic leak on Monday. Temporarily, some flights were diverted, but after some time, the plane was towed off the runway, and the airport reopened.

The incident

The Aviation Herald reports that a Qatar Airways Boeing 747-8F flying from Frankfurt (FRA) to Doha (DOH) declared an emergency after the aircraft suffered a failure of the hydraulic system #1, which had been depleted of all its hydraulic fluid. The incident occurred on September 28th after the plane completed an overnight flight from Frankfurt.

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A7-ABG — A7-BGB, the aircraft involved in the incident. Photo: Alec Wilson via Flickr

The aircraft landed on runway 34R at Doha and stopped on the runway. After landing, the plane had to be towed off the runway, temporarily shutting down the runway. A post-flight inspection revealed that engine number one on the aircraft needs to be replaced, temporarily grounding the aircraft until repairs are completed.

The aircraft involved in this incident is registered as A7-BGB. According to data from Flightradar24.com, the jet is only three years old.

QR8222 — The flight landed safely but had to be towed off the runway. Screenshot: Flightradar24

Qatar Airways posted the following statement on Twitter:

The Boeing 747's engines are numbered from one to four, as shown below:

Qantas plans farewell flights for 747 — A Boeing 747 with its shorter deck. Photo: Getty Images

Hydraulic systems

Hydraulic systems are essential on aircraft. These systems, using hydraulic fluid, allow pilots to move crucial parts of the aircraft, such as the landing gear, flaps, ailerons, the rudder, and more.

Aircraft, like the Boeing 747-8Fs, have multiple hydraulic systems as a backup in case one system fails. The Boeing 747 has four hydraulic systems, so losing one system is not catastrophic, though it can be concerning. Thankfully, the pilots were able to react accordingly and land safely in Doha.

The Boeing 747-8F

Qatar Airways does not operate passenger Boeing 747s, but it operates a fleet of two Boeing 747-8F according to data from Planespotters.net.

According to Boeing, the 747-8F has a maximum payload capacity of 137.7 metric tons (303,700 pounds). The aircraft has a maximum range of 4,120 nautical miles (7,630 kilometers).

Qatar Airways, Boeing 747, Freight — Qatar Airways has carried hundreds of thousands of tonnes of medical aid since the crisis began using its Boeing 747-8F. Photo: Getty Images

The fun part about this aircraft, which also makes it so efficient and well-loved by freight operators and aviation enthusiasts around the world, is the aircraft's nose door that opens up for the loading and unloading of large cargo. The aircraft can still also be loaded from a side door.

Cargo has become a lifeline for airlines, and Qatar Airways has been keeping its dedicated cargo fleet flying to get necessary and vital cargo where it needs to go. Other cargo jets in Qatar Airways' cargo fleet are Airbus A330-200Fs and Boeing 777Fs.

What do you make of this incident? Let us know in the comments!