Rejected takeoffs happen for a variety of reasons, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rejected takeoff quite like this (if you’re not an aviation geek, of course by all means skip this post, as it doesn’t even involve a passenger jet).
In this post:
A Sky Lease Cargo 747’s high speed aborted takeoff in Santiago
This incident happened on Saturday, April 19, 2025, and involves a 19-year-old Sky Lease Cargo Boeing 747-400F, with the registration code N904AR. The jet was supposed to operate flight GG4550, the 4,118-mile journey from Santiago (SCL) to Miami (MIA).
At 10:31AM, the jet lined up on runway 17R for departure, and accelerated. According to data from Flightradar24, the jet reached a top speed of 163 knots (188 miles per hour), at which point pilots made the decision to reject the takeoff.
While rejected takeoffs happen, that’s an incredibly high speed at which to do so. Within 18 seconds, the plane came to a stop, even with a bit of runway left to spare. Smoke came from the tires, and all 16 of the wheels making up the main gear deflated. Emergency services were called, to ensure there was no fire.
Unsurprisingly, the plane has been on the ground in Santiago since the incident, and I think it’ll take a bit of work before the plane is back in service. That can’t be great for Sky Lease Cargo, which only has two 747s in its fleet.
I wonder what caused this high speed rejected takeoff
I’m sure this isn’t the highest speed rejected takeoff in history, but it must be close. I’ve certainly never seen a video of a takeoff being rejected at such a high speed.
It’s pretty common to see rejected takeoffs at low speeds, when pilots detect something isn’t right. There are also occasionally rejected high speed takeoffs, and that’s usually defined as the plane reaching a speed of over 80 knots.
However, in this case the plane reached a speed of 163 knots, which is right around the 747’s takeoff speed, if not a bit higher (obviously there are other factors as well).
Pilots have a V1 speed, referred to as “the point of no return,” which is the maximum speed at which a takeoff can be rejected in the event of an emergency. This can vary based on a variety of factors, but generally the V1 speed for a 747 would be under 163 knots.
Anyway, of course the pilots had their reason for doing this, as I can’t imagine they made the decision to reject takeoff at such a high speed without cause. I’d be fascinated to know what was discovered at such a high speed, that wasn’t known up until that point.
While the tires sustained some serious damage, at least everyone got out safely, and presumably it could’ve been much worse.
Bottom line
A Sky Lease Cargo Boeing 747 had a pretty extreme rejected takeoff while departing Santiago, as the plane reached a speed of 163 knots, prior to the pilots hitting the brakes and bringing the aircraft to a stop. 16 tires ended up deflating as a result of this, and it was quite the operational mess. What a sight!
What do you make of this Sky Lease Cargo rejected takeoff?
I experienced an RTO on a 747 at around 100kts after an engine went, and that was terrifying - not least because of the sudden lurch to the side from the loss of thrust nd the subsequent rudder correction.
163kts is mental.
That was a remarkably quick deceleration for such a large plane at high (runway) speed. I wonder if the aircraft was empty. Even then, just the fuel load for such a long flight would be quite heavy.
When you have a high energy abort, the brakes get real hot. The tires are supposed to deflate via fuse plugs that melt to release the pressure rather than exploding.
Thanks for the info. I did not know that.
There was the AA 737 a couple of years ago in the Caribbean. I don't remember the island
I wonder what V1 was for that flight. Can't have been MUCH higher.
You can see the rudder swinging quite violently right and left before the reject, so assuming directional control issues during the roll for whatever reason.
You’re right. That sure doesn’t look normal.
Good observation.
"I can’t imagine they made the decision to reject takeoff at such a high speed without cause"
Brilliant observation.
If you're just gonna make fun of Ben's "mistakes". Please stop reading his posts. Or at least stop commenting about it. Thank you!
I will engage and comment as I please, darling.
Gate keep much?
What the big deal, aircraft arrived in Mismi 4 minutes ago !!
@ @tbtravels360 -- That's N903AR, Sky Lease Cargo's other 747.
“Wait!!!! I forgot my phone!!”
UA Pilot: Been there, done that.
Or passport :)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/24/travel/plane-turns-around-pilot-forgets-passport/index.html