It takes a long distance for a fully loaded widebody aircraft to make a rejected take-off (RTO) in an emergency situation, especially if it is equipped with 100% depleted brakes.

Almost 12 years ago, Boeing captured one of the most notable flight safety tests involving the iconic Boeing 747-8 freighter. So, what was the process of the 747-8 rejected take-off test, and how did it happen?

A retrospective view

The flight test campaign is designed to assess systems operation in normal flight modes, along with failure scenarios and extreme conditions. Not surprisingly, all aircraft undergo intense testing before they are certified and delivered to an airline.

In May 2011, not long before the Boeing 747-8’s received its flight certification, the American aircraft manufacturer conducted multiple flight safety examinations, including the aforementioned rejected take-off test.

Just before the aircraft was put under the RTO test, Boeing technicians fueled the 747-8 freighter up to the maximum take-off weight of over 975,000 lbs (442.3 tons) and installed 100% worn-out brakes.

After the 747-8 freighter was prepared, Boeing test pilot Captain Kirk Vining initiated a standard take-off procedure by accelerating all four engines to maximum thrust. Bust just as the quadjet was going at 200 miles per hour (320 kilometers per hour), the pilot slammed on the brakes.

Photo: Tom Bilek / Shutterstock

The RTO test exceeded the expectations

The outcome of the test was more successful than the Boeing team had projected. The pilot, who could not use the thrust reversers during the test, managed to stop the aircraft on time and even earlier, beating the target by 700 feet (200 meters).

However, the examination did not end there. After the airplane came to a halt, the footage showed the overheated wheels producing volumes of smoke. It was estimated to be more than 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,400 degrees Celsius) inside the brakes.

Shortly after the 747-8 was stopped, special fuse plugs inside the wheels were activated, deflating the tires and preventing them from exploding.

Meanwhile, the firefighters were still waiting for the five-minute mark to pass in order to simulate a real-life emergency in which firefighters are often unable to arrive on the scene immediately.

More than five decades of history

Boeing has recently ended more than five decades of glorious history. On January 31, 2023, the American plane maker closed the book on the jumbo jet with its 1,574th and final delivery of the type.

Photo: Lukas Souza / Simple Flying

The last produced Queen of the Skies, registered as N863GT, was delivered to Atlas Air, the world’s largest operator of the type. It is worth noting that the last produced 747-8 freighter will be wet-leased to Kuehne+Nagel.

While this is the end of the production of the 747, it is not the end of the aircraft by any means. Numerous cargo carriers, as well as some of the passenger airlines, including Atlas Air and Lufthansa, remain reliant on the quadjet for their operations.

Sources: Boeing