Fuel Leak at O'Hare: Giant 512 Heavy Aircraft in Emergency. Real ATC Audio

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]Number 5526, 340175 runway 20 clear for takeoff.

[00:00:17]Tower, this is Rescue 6510.

[00:00:21]Rescue 6510 on air ground, uh the aircraft hasn't checked in on this frequency quite yet. I don't have many details.

[00:00:28]Uh Giant 512 heavy is the call sign, heavy Boeing 747.

[00:00:33]Nature of the emergency is uh fuel leak on the left side. The pilot was advised to shut engines down, but I don't have any updates other than that at this time. People on board is still unknown.

[00:00:45]Giant 512 heavy, total board is two, all engines shut down, APU running.

[00:00:52]Giant 512 heavy, we'll step down by the rescue. Can you confirm you have two people on board, all the engines are shut down, and the APU is running?

[00:01:00]All engines shut down, APU running.

[00:01:02]Two total board.

[00:01:04]Giant 512 heavy, roger. Rescue 6510, did you copy that information?

[00:01:10]Copied. Uh Giant 512 heavy, how can we be of assistance? We're going to go uh We really can't do a um uh 360. We got somebody in another company going around to the back, but we're going to go check out what we got.

[00:01:23]Okay, yeah. Go and have a look and just uh inform us of what they think.

[00:01:29]I drove around.

[00:01:31]Giant 512 heavy, when you get a second, can you tell me how much fuel you have presently on board?

[00:01:40]Uh Giant 512, uh we've got uh 119 tons of fuel on board.

[00:01:46]119 tons? Affirm, very heavy.

[00:01:50]Yeah, all right, roger that.

[00:01:57]Giant 512, we have all engines shut down now. Are we still leaking fuel?

[00:02:03]You're leaking something out of a main landing gear doors. I can't tell what it is just yet.

[00:02:09]Copy.

[00:02:10]If we're able, I'd like to get chocks in in case we need to shut down completely.

[00:02:15]We won't have brakes at that point.

[00:02:17]Roger, I'll I'll get one of our guys in.

[00:02:20]Thank you.

[00:02:25]Air rescue vehicle to Gillette.

[00:02:27]It's the left wing.

[00:02:31]Giant 512 heavy, we got people coming out to check your left wing again.

[00:02:37]Giant 512, thank you.

[00:02:39]Air rescue vehicle from City 175, do you guys see the left wing leakage?

[00:02:44]Whatever city vehicle just called, all I'm seeing is a little puddle underneath the main landing gear.

[00:02:50]No, negative. Left wing, edge of the wing.

[00:02:55]I see it now, it's in the grass. That's why it wasn't making a puddle.

[00:02:59]Hey firm.

[00:03:01]Giant 512 heavy, rescue 57.

[00:03:04]Giant 512.

[00:03:07]Yeah, you do have a ongoing leak out of the port side wing, uh maybe about 50 ft away from the engine.

[00:03:15]Uh leaking into the into the uh grass.

[00:03:18]Understood. Uh we're going to end up having to shut the APU down then, which means we're going to lose all power. Do we have the chocks in?

[00:03:26]Not yet, you can see them walking up to your nose shortly.

[00:03:30]Okay, let me know when the chocks are in and then uh we'll shut down completely.

[00:03:33]Once we do, we're going to lose communication with you.

[00:03:36]We'll need a tow in and uh we're supposed to go into uh Southeast cargo spot 21.

[00:03:41]Copy, spot 21, spot 21.

[00:03:47]Air rescue Giant 512, do you have a phone number we can call you on once we shut down to be able to communicate.

[00:03:53]Affirmative. 773 Front nose gear is chalked front back.

[00:04:05]Copy. We'll go ahead and shut down to stop the fuel leak. I'll call you shortly.

[00:04:10]Hey Giant 512 heavy, this is the tower.

[00:04:12]If you can jot down our number as well in case we you want to get a hold of us.

[00:04:18]Go ahead.

[00:04:20]Area code 773 That's the number up here to the cab.

[00:04:27]Roger. We'll call you in a bit.

[00:04:32]Tower, this is Rescue 6510.

[00:04:35]Rescue 6510 tower.

[00:04:37]All right. E is shut off. We got Giant 512 shut down. Everything still has an active leak. Leaking into the grass.

[00:04:48]Already made a uh a call to see if he can get a tow in.

[00:04:52]Are you going to allow him to get towed in while it's an active leak?

[00:04:56]Ooh. That one would be entirely up to the city. So, I will have somebody up here make a call and find out.

[00:05:03]Appreciate that, sir.

[00:05:04]Absolutely.