On this day in 1985, China Airlines’ Boeing 747SP, N4522V was cruising at 41,000 feet, 300 nautical miles northwest of San Francisco, California when the number 4 engine quit and would not respond. Due to pilot error, the plane rolled over and vertically dived, losing 30,000 feet of altitude before the crew was able to recover. However, the airplane was severely damaged, with bent wings, a damaged left aileron, lost parts of its elevators and horizontal stabilizers, and damaged landing gear doors. It had experienced acceleration forces as high as 4.8 Gs as it descended. Fortunately, of the 287 persons onboard only 24 were injured and two were seriously hurt. The flight diverted to San Francisco. The 747SP was substantially damaged. It was nearly two years before repairs completed. The captain had not slept during his previous rest period and his tiredness was considered a factor in this incident.
Boeing built 45 747SPs (Special Performance), a very long-range variant of the 747-100 series airliners. It has a shorter fuselage and a larger tail surface than the standard model. The weight savings allowed it to carry more fuel for longer flights at a faster speed.
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