Canadian investigators have disclosed that a Boeing 747 freighter suffered engine damage after it manoeuvred away from its taxiway after landing at Moncton.

The Kalitta Air 747-400ERF, with seven crew members on board, had arrived from Chicago O’Hare on 11 March.

It touched down on runway 24 and turned onto taxiway E for the apron, says Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

But as the aircraft turned left to enter the apron, the board states, the crew “deviated off the taxi lane”.

Its outboard left-hand General Electric CF6 engine struck a bank of snow, resulting in damage to the powerplant and forcing the cancellation of the subsequent flight. The incident took place around 20:00, after sunset.

“Maintenance personnel inspected the aircraft, and the operator elected to ferry the aircraft on three engines the following day,” says the board.

Meteorological data for Moncton shows that, while the airport was affected by gusting winds at the time, visibility was good.

Cirium's Fleets Analyzer lists the aircraft (N782CK) as a 2009 airframe, serial number 37304.

It was originally one of a pair ordered by Kuwaiti start-up freight operator LoadAir Cargo. The aircraft became the last original 747 model to be delivered when the two jets were officially handed to LoadAir in November 2009, although the Kuwaiti airline never operated the jets.

Kalitta acquired N782CK in late 2011.

Source: Cirium Dashboard