FEDEX MD 11 crash in Japan

[vickers23]

Maybe fatique played a role ?

Condolences to the families,

Vickers23

[subsonic69]

just saw the video .. im not sure what it is ... but there was a moment when the aircraft was actually nose down on the approach..

RIP to the pilots.

[Super VC-10]

Well established thread here:-

http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/366990-cnn-reports-fedex-crash-tokyo.html

[blaireau]

Some of my colleagues tell me the a/c is quite tricky compared with the DC10. It has much reduced empennage and quite a high approach speed. Plus, I understand lowering the nose gear onto the runway requires a little more finesse than most other comparable a/c.

[Peter Fanelli]

Some of the video floating around doesn't show the whole story.
It touched down in a fairly normal attitude then the nose pitched up again causing it to get airborne again followed by the nosewheel first touchdown and bounce.

[eternity]

The main wheels on the MD11 are quite a fair way back, past the CofG and I hear from guys flying that machine and similar that if you do bounce slightly you usually just apply some forward pressure to keep her low.

From anyone who has flown these machines, looking at the video, is that a possibility and the poor chaps just didn't realise how high they had bounced??

[Peter Fanelli]

I wonder if some freight moved aft when it first touched down.