Air Transport

Fire has seriously damaged an ABX Air Boeing 767-200 freighter while the twin-jet was parked at San Francisco International Airport late yesterday.

The aircraft has been identified as a 22-year old example, registered N799AX, owned by the carrier and powered by General Electric CF6 engines.

It has suffered substantial damage to the forward fuselage, images from the scene indicate, with the hull burned through across the crown above the forward exits.

There is also evidence of smoke around the cockpit windows. No firm information has yet been disclosed as to where the fire started and the extent of any internal damage.

©Jack Hannen

Two pilots are said to have been on board the aircraft at the time, preparing for a flight to ABX’s Wilmington base in Ohio, and escaped with only minor injuries.

ABX Air’s operations include services on behalf of express package specialist DHL. The 767 involved in the incident was in DHL colours.

DHL is to implement heavy cuts to the ABX Air business, in favour of switching to UPS, a decision which will remove 39 of the 55 McDonnell Douglas DC-9s which ABX uses for DHL flights. Withdrawal of 23 DC-9s is set to begin tomorrow.