American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, Minor Incident at Chicago O'Hare International Airport

On Thursday, October 17, 2024, American Airlines flight AA47, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (registration N834AA), experienced a minor incident

while taxiing to the gate at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport (ORD/KORD) after arriving from London-Heathrow (LHR/EGLL). The aircraft was manufactured in 2018 and is owned by American Airlines.

Details of the Incident

While on Taxiway B, following Air France flight AF136 (an Airbus A350-900), a cargo container was blown into the inlet of the no. 2 engine on the American Airlines 787-9. 

According to reports, the container was being towed across a nearby service road, and the jet blast from the A350 reportedly caused the container to move towards the Boeing aircraft.

No fatalities or injuries were reported among the passengers or crew. The incident led to only minor damage to the engine, and the situation was swiftly addressed by ground personnel at Chicago O'Hare.

Circumstances and Investigation

At this point, the information has primarily been obtained from news and social media sources, with no official reports released by aviation authorities. The investigation shall focus on the events leading to the cargo container's movement and potential gaps in ground service safety protocols.

Though the incident caused minimal damage and no harm to passengers, it serves as a reminder of the importance of operational safety during ground handling, especially in busy airport environments. Authorities are expected to review procedures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Social Media

At approx. 3 this afternoon, @AmericanAir Flight 47 was on Taxiway Bravo, heading to its gate at T5 when it ingested a cargo container into its #2 (right) engine destroying the can and severely damaging the aircraft. There are no reported injuries #ChicagoScanner #avgeek #AA47 pic.twitter.com/bMahnpu7S8

— Windy City Wheelman (@WindyCityDriver) October 17, 2024

There is an airport vehicle service road connecting T5 to T3 (that I've circled below) that crosses both Taxiways Bravo and Alpha. The can ingestion appears to have taken place near this road making me wonder if the can blew off a trailer being towed on this road. pic.twitter.com/RsuBZ86izC

— Windy City Wheelman (@WindyCityDriver) October 17, 2024

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