Taiwan’s Transportation Safety Board has closed the book on a 2025 landing accident that became a textbook runway FOD chain reaction. A UPS Airlines 747 freighter scraped an engine nacelle on the pavement. The impact scattered debris that a second cargo jet ran over minutes later.
The TTSB released its final report Aug. 31 on UPS Airlines Flight 5X61, a Boeing 747-8 freighter (N613UP) that struck its No. 4 engine nacelle on Runway 05L while landing at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Aug. 13, 2025. Notably, the flight was arriving from Hong Kong amid Typhoon Podul.
A Crosswind Landing Goes Wrong
According to the TTSB’s final report, the aircraft was making its third approach after two earlier go-arounds. Crosswinds tied to the typhoon then pushed it into an unstable landing roll.
One second after touchdown, the No. 1 thrust lever was inadvertently advanced past idle, triggering automatic speedbrake retraction. That left the 747 carrying excess lift into gusty right crosswinds. Its air/ground sensing system also cycled back to “air mode” three times, delaying deployment of the deceleration devices.
Meanwhile, fighting repeated left-roll tendencies, the pilot flying applied large right control-wheel inputs. The aircraft’s right wing dropped to a 9.2-degree angle, exceeding the 747-8’s ground-contact limits. The No. 4 engine nacelle then struck the runway.
Debris Field Becomes a Runway FOD Chain Reaction
The impact tore the fan cowl’s four latch assemblies loose. Both cowl halves then separated and scattered across the runway and adjacent grass. A companion factual data report from the TTSB documented the scope of the debris field. Investigators found roughly 40 pieces of engine debris spread between 4,080 and 5,300 feet from the runway threshold. They also logged two long scrape marks gouged into the pavement.
A B777F cargo aircraft landed on the same runway afterward and ran directly through that debris field. The impact damaged three main landing gear tires and left multiple scratches and punctures in the jet’s belly composite panels. As a result, a single abnormal landing became a two-aircraft damage event.
The Communication Gap
Notably, the report’s most pointed finding involves what didn’t happen after the strike. Both the tower’s local controller and a local monitor saw sparks coming off the UPS jet during its landing roll. However, neither relayed that observation to the flight crew. Neither flagged it as a possible runway hazard before the next aircraft landed.
Ultimately, the TTSB called this a breakdown in Team Resource Management. That protocol is what air traffic controllers use to cross-check and act on abnormalities spotted by any team member. Investigators said timely communication between the tower and UPS crew “could have facilitated earlier recognition of a possible engine nacelle strike.” That earlier recognition, they said, could have kept the debris from reaching the second aircraft.
Afterward, the UPS flight crew did notify the tower that they’d experienced a heavy nacelle strike. That report triggered a runway inspection, but by then the second aircraft had already landed.
Findings and Recommendations
The TTSB issued 15 findings and two safety recommendations, both directed at Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration rather than UPS. The board asked the CAA to strengthen controller training so visual anomalies like sparks trigger immediate runway-integrity checks. It also called for reinforced Team Resource Management practices, so any controller who spots an abnormality ensures it’s acted on.
In response, UPS Airlines told investigators it had already implemented proactive safety measures following the incident. The TTSB said those measures addressed the causal issues well enough that no additional recommendations were needed for the carrier. Indeed, no injuries were reported in either landing. The investigation, conducted under Annex 13 to the ICAO convention, included the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Taiwan’s CAA. UPS Airlines also participated as a party to the probe.
The case underscores a persistent vulnerability in high-traffic runway operations. Once debris hits pavement, the window to intercept a following aircraft before it becomes runway FOD is measured in minutes. That window depends entirely on whether observers on the ground speak up in time. Related coverage on FODNews has documented similar tire-debris shutdowns following aircraft mishaps.
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