FedEx Flight 647

Infobox Airliner accident
name = FedEx Flight 647
Date = December 18 2003
Type = Pilot error
Site = Memphis International Airport, Memphis, TN
Fatalities = 0
Injuries = 2
Aircraft Type= Boeing MD-10-10F
Operator = FedEx
Tail Number = N364FE
Passengers = 5
Crew = 2
Survivors = 7 (all)

FedEx Corporation (FedEx) flight 647 was a flight between Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK), Oakland, California and Memphis International Airport (MEM), Memphis, Tennessee that crashed during landing on December 18, 2003.

Final Moments

The flight touched down at about 12:26 central standard time on runway 36R, and almost immediately the right landing gear collapsed. The plane veered off the right side of the runway, catching fire as it did so. The co-pilot received minor injuries as she evacuated the aircraft, as did one of the five non-revenue FedEx pilots who were on board as passengers. It was later discovered that the non-revenue pilot who activated the slide for the emergency exit had not been adequately trained in its operation, and so accidentally pulled the handle that released the slide as a raft in the event of a landing on water, so that the slide detached from the airplane.

Several of the pilots who were on board as passengers stayed back to retrieve personal items from the burning aircraft, thus unnecessarily endangering themselves.

The Investigation

The NTSB conducted a full investigation of the accident. It found that although the aircraft had encountered a crosswind during landing, the conditions were well within the safe capabilities of the aircraft. However, it was discovered that the first officer did not properly line up the plane before touchdown, nor did she slow the plane adequately before touchdown, so that the plane came down excessively hard. As the plane came down, due to the crosswind, the right wing suddenly lowered approximately six degrees. This was beyond the design capabilities for the right main landing gear, and it snapped as a result. The NTSB also cited the captain for failing to check the work of the first officer.

References

[http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_id=20040121X00082&ntsbno=DCA04MA011&akey=1 NTSB Report]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoOvMSOvi5E&NR=1 NTSB Simulation Video]