Date & Time:
Dec 18, 2003 at 1226 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-10
Operator:
Registration:
N364FE
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Oakland – Memphis
MSN:
46600
YOM:
1971
Flight number:
FDX647
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total hours on type:
2602
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1918
Aircraft flight hours:
65375
Aircraft flight cycles:
26163
Circumstances:
On December 18, 2003, about 1226 central standard time, Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) flight 647, a Boeing MD-10-10F (MD-10), N364FE, crashed while landing at Memphis International Airport (MEM), Memphis, Tennessee. The right main landing gear collapsed after touchdown on runway 36R, and the airplane veered off the right side of the runway. After the gear collapsed, a fire developed on the right side of the airplane. Of the two flight crewmembers and five non revenue FedEx pilots on board the airplane, the first officer and one non revenue pilot received minor injuries during the evacuation. The post crash fire destroyed the airplaneís right wing and portions of the right side of the fuselage. Flight 647 departed from Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK), Oakland, California, about 0832 (0632 Pacific standard time) and was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 on an instrument flight rules flight plan.
Probable cause:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable causes of the accident were:
1) the first officerís failure to properly apply crosswind landing techniques to align the airplane with the runway centerline and to properly arrest the airplaneís descent rate (flare) before the airplane touched down; and
2) the captain's failure to adequately monitor the first officerís performance and command or initiate corrective action during the final approach and landing.
1) the first officerís failure to properly apply crosswind landing techniques to align the airplane with the runway centerline and to properly arrest the airplaneís descent rate (flare) before the airplane touched down; and
2) the captain's failure to adequately monitor the first officerís performance and command or initiate corrective action during the final approach and landing.
Final Report:
N364FE.pdf1.35 MB
