Boeing 767: Encyclopedia - Boeing 767

Boeing 767

The Boeing 767 is a commercial passenger airplane manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The Boeing 767, a widebody jet, was introduced at around the same time as the 757, its narrowbody sister. The 767 has a seat-to-aisle ratio in economy class of 3.5 seats per aisle, making for quicker food service and quicker exit of the plane than many other jetliners, which typically have between four and six seats per aisle in economy class. On the downside, as the 767 has a slightly narrower fuselage diameter than other wide-body aircraft (such as the Airbus A300 and A310), it is unable to carry ordinary Unit Load Devices, and instead has to use specially designed air freight containers and pallets.

The 767 is to be succeeded in the Boeing lineup by the 787.

Boeing 767 - Variants

• 767-200 - The first model of the 767, launched in 1978 and produced from 1981 to 1994. It entered service with United Airlines in 1982.
• 767-200ER - An extended-range variant first delivered to El Al in 1984. It became the first 767 to complete a nonstop transatlantic journey, and broke the flying distance record for twinjet airliners several times.
• 767-300 - A lengthened 767 ordered by Japan Airlines in 1983. It first flew on January 14, 1986, and was delivered to JAL on September 25.
• 767-300ER - An extended-range variant of the -300. It flew for the first time in 1986, but received no commercial orders until American Airlines purchased several in 1987. The aircraft entered service with AA in 1988. In 1995, EVA Air used a 767-300ER to inaugurate the first transpacific 767 service.
• 767-300F - A highly-automated air freight version of the 767-300ER, ordered by United Parcel Service in 1993 and delivered in 1995.
• 767-400ER - Another extended long-range variant, made as a niche aircraft for Delta Air Lines and Continental Airlines to replace their Lockheed L-1011 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10 fleets. It is the only 767 model to feature "raked" wingtips, which increase fuel efficiency. The first production 767-400ER was delivered in 2000.
• E-767 - AWACS platform used by the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Essentially the E-3 Sentry mission package on a 767 platform.
• KC-767 Tanker Transport - aerial refueling platform currently used by the Italian Air Force and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The United States Air Force has expressed interest in the aircraft, with a contract for the lease of 100 aircraft under review. The KC-767 has lost out to the Airbus A330 in two recent contests, for the RAF and Royal Australian Air Force.
• E-10 MC2A - Replacement for the Boeing 707-based E-3 Sentry AWACS, the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft, and EC-135 ELINT aircraft. This is an all-new system, with a powerful Active Electronically Scanned Array and not based upon the Japanese AWACS aircraft.

Boeing 767 - General characteristics

Boeing 767 - Disasters and incidents

Boeing 767 - Specific accidents

Two Boeing 767 aircraft were involved in the September 11, 2001 attacks. American Airlines Flight 11, a 767-223ER, crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center, with 92 fatalities on board. United Airlines Flight 175, a 767-222, crashed into the south tower, with the loss of all 65 on board. In addition, 2602 people perished on the ground, mostly in the two towers.

Boeing 767 - Accident summary

(as of 2005)

• Hull-loss Accidents: 6 with a total of 568 fatalities
• Other occurrences: 2 with a total of 0 fatalities
• Hijackings: 5 with a total of 282 fatalities

Boeing 767 - Incidents

• Gimli Glider On July 23, 1983 Air Canada flight 143 ran out of fuel in flight and had to glide to an emergency landing. The inclusion of a ram air turbine allowed the aircraft to be controlled with complete loss of power and resulted in zero fatalities because of this error.

Boeing 767 - Chinese state aircraft

In 2000, the government of China purchased a 767-300ER as the official executive aircraft of President Jiang Zemin. The aircraft had originally been delivered to Delta Air Lines in June 2000 but was immediately resold to China United Airlines. After its transfer to the Chinese government, the plane was taken to San Antonio, Texas to be refitted with a custom interior.

In the fall of 2001, the Chinese government announced that it had discovered 27 covert listening devices embedded in the plane's interior. The Chinese government blamed the CIA for planting the bugs. The 22 Chinese military and government officials charged with overseeing the refit were arrested for suspicion of negligence and corruption.

The CIA and American President George W. Bush denied having any knowledge of the existence of the listening devices. Diplomatic experts worried that the incident would have deleterious effects on Sino-American relations and Boeing's reputation in the lucrative Chinese market. However, relations between the two countries remained cordial and Chinese airlines continued to purchase Boeing aircraft.

Boeing 767 - Trivia

• The air flowing through a 767-400ER engine at takeoff power could inflate the Goodyear blimp in 7 seconds.
• Delta Air Lines is the world's largest 767 operator, with approximately 118 planes including the 767-200, 767-300, 767-300ER, and 767-400ER.
• The 767 has a propeller in its underbody, known as a ram air turbine (RAT), to provide electrical power during emergencies.

Boeing 767 - Related content

Designation sequence:

• 737 - 747 - 757 - 767 - 7J7 - 777 - 787

Related development:

• Boeing 727
• Boeing 757
• Boeing 777

Similar aircraft:

• Airbus A300
• Airbus A310
• Airbus A330
• Boeing 787

Related lists:

• List of airliners
• List of Boeing 767 operators

External links:

• Details on the Boeing 767 family of aircraft
• History and pictures of the Boeing 767-200
• Jane's entry with detailed specifications
• Planemad.net - Boeing 767 Production Lists
• Detailed info on the Boeing 767 family
• The Spirit of Delta, Delta Airlines' first Boeing 767

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Category: U.S. airliners 1980-1989

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Boeing 767", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki