What happened
While performing a takeoff roll on runway 01R at San Francisco International Airport, the crew of the aircraft encountered significant vibrations. Although the aircraft had already surpassed V1 speed, the flight crew elected to abort the takeoff procedure. As the plane attempted to decelerate, it was unable to come to a complete stop before reaching the end of the runway.
The subsequent overrun caused the aircraft to exit the paved surface and enter the San Francisco Bay. During the excursion, the airframe sustained severe structural damage, including the loss of the number two engine and the nose landing gear, eventually breaking into two separate sections. Despite the severity of the impact, all three crew members were evacuated from the wreckage without injury.
Findings
Investigation into the incident revealed that the decision to initiate a rejected takeoff after passing V1 speed left the aircraft with insufficient runway length to decelerate safely. The primary trigger for the crew's actions was the failure of two rear tires on the right-side main landing gear, which created noticeable vibrations and hindered the aircraft's acceleration during the initial roll.