On 23rd November, an Aerostan Cargo Boeing 747-200F returned to Macau International Airport after suffering an engine fire, emitting bangs and streaks of flames shortly after departure.
The Boeing 747-200F with registration EX-47001 was performing flight BSC4053 from Macau, China to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan. However, during the climb-out of Macau’s runway 16, the cockpit control panel of the aircraft indicated fire on engine No. 2. As a result, the crew stopped the climb at about 10,000 feet and decided to return to Macau.
Following the engine fire, the captain performed troubleshooting in accordance with the operations procedures. The crew shut down the affected engine, dumped fuel into the Pearl River to allow the aircraft to reach the weight level safe for landing, and requested the ATC for an emergency landing.
After receiving the notification from Flight BSC4053 the airport authorities activated the Emergency Operations Centre to prepare for the contingency work and the cargo plane eventually landed safely on Macau’s runway 34 about 43 minutes after the departure. Upon landing, the fire team immediately extinguished the flames and the aircraft was towed to the apron.
Macau’s Civil Aviation Authority (AACM) confirmed that the aircraft returned to Macau due to the failure of the number two engine. After taking all relevant preparations and precautions as per the operation manuals, an empty dispatch of the aircraft on three engines was approved the following day.
After all safety procedures were completed, the aircraft departed from Macau International Airport on Thursday night after remaining on the ground for about 32.5 hours, as reported by the Aviation Herald.
Aerostan is a cargo airline based in Manas International Airport, Kyrgyzstan, which focuses on chartered cargo flights. They flew from 2004 to 2012 and again from 2020 onwards. Aerostan currently has a fleet of one Airbus A300B4-200F and two Boeing 747-200Fs.
