Minutes after takeoff from Dubai, the pilots of a UPS Boeing 747 are face to face with their worst nightmare. Behind them, a cargo pallet containing over 81,000 lithium batteries has caught fire.

So far, there seems to be no real clue as to why the aircraft, one of 12 in the 216 strong UPS fleet ... Two earlier 747 crashes that occurred in such a dramatic post-take off manner were the ...

For the Boeing 747, under ideal conditions, the aircraft must reach a speed of 184 mph to take off. Cruising speed is the ...