A Boeing 747-8 aircraft operated by Air China (Air China, referred to as Air China) experienced an accident while refueling on the ground at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on August 31, causing the cancellation of flight CA982 bound for Beijing.
Air China reported on September 2 that the incident was caused by the abnormal movement of the refueling vehicle, resulting in damage to the aircraft components, with no injuries reported.
According to information released by the Aviation Safety Network, a group focused on aircraft accidents and civil aviation safety issues, on Wednesday (September 2), the aircraft with registration number B-2486 arrived from Beijing to New York on the night of August 30, scheduled to depart for the return flight around 2:05 am on August 31, operating as flight CA982.
At the time of the incident, the aircraft was parked at the boarding gate undergoing refueling operations when the ground refueling vehicle unexpectedly moved, causing damage to the fueling port and related equipment as the two refueling hoses remained connected to the fuel port under the wings. After the hoses were disconnected, fuel leaked onto the tarmac.
Videos shared online by eyewitnesses showed that after the accident, airport ground staff inspected the wing fueling ports and cleaned up the spilled fuel, while the airport fire department quickly responded to the leak incident. The affected area was later washed and cleaned.
The Aviation Safety Network classified the aircraft damage in this incident as minor. The aircraft is currently stranded at Kennedy Airport for further inspection.
Air China also emphasized that the incident only caused damage to “aircraft-related components,” mainly affecting the wing refueling ports and connected equipment. However, the aircraft must undergo technical inspection and be confirmed airworthy before resuming flights.
Following the incident, Air China stated that they have activated a special plan for international flights to handle passenger services appropriately.
Several passengers who had booked the flight posted cancellation notices attributed to “fuel supply accidents” from Air China on social media.
FATIII Aviation and other aviation sources pointed out that this incident underscores the importance of ground refueling operations, which, although routine procedures, may result in operational interruptions if coordination errors occur.
Currently, the extent of the damage, repair time, resumption schedule, why the vehicle moved while the hose was not fully detached, how responsibility is assigned, still require investigation and clarification by the airport and relevant authorities.