Note: There is no "standard" instrument approach to runway 9 (there may be a GPS, but they are not included in my subscription). There is a CAT II ILS to runway 27. Runway is 8000', with VASI both 9 -27. Accident occured approximately 15 minutes before published sunrise.
KTLH 261053Z 00000KT 9SM FEW001 SCT015 SCT150 BKN250 22/22 A3013
RMK AO2 SLP200 VIS SW-NW 1/2 CB DSNT SE CB DSNT SW FU SCT015
FU PLUME OVR APCH RWY 09 T02220217=
KTLH 260953Z 00000KT 8SM FEW001 SCT150 SCT250 22/22 A3011 RMK AO2
SLP195 T02220217=
KTLH 260853Z 12005KT 9SM FEW001 SCT180 SCT250 22/22 A3010 RMK AO2
SLP192 T02220217 55003=
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FedEx crash inquiry goes on
NTSB says engines worked normally
By Rachel Sams
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
Investigators worked under gathering clouds Saturday afternoon at Tallahassee Regional Airport, examining the singed remains of the
FedEx plane that crashed there early Friday morning.
Richard Rodriguez, senior investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, outlined the flight's last moments at the
crash site Saturday. The three-man flight crew survived the crash.
The crew made a visual approach to Runway 9 - the airport's east-west runway - from the west, Rodriguez said. The plane clipped
trees on its way down and skidded to a halt about 1,000 feet from the end of the runway. Tree limbs and hunks of metal of all sizes
marked the path of the plane across the charred grass. The aircraft turned about 180 degrees between the first impact and its final
stop, Rodriguez said.
The first impact mark was on a tree, about 70 feet high and 3,100 feet from the end of the runway, Rodriguez said. The plane first
hit the ground about 2,100 feet from the runway, he said. The first piece of wreckage - a small piece of the leading edge flap - is
about 200 feet from the first tree strike.
The plane's three engines appear to have been operating normally, he said. The aircraft's landing gear was down, meaning it was in
place to land.
An update on the crew wasn't available Saturday. The three men - identified by FedEx as Capt. William Walsh, first officer William
Frye and second officer David Mendez - were listed in fair condition at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital on Friday evening. Hospital
officials Saturday referred all questions about the three men to FedEx, where media officials couldn't be reached for comment.
Rodriguez said Saturday night that the NTSB had begun interviewing the flight crew but would not report on the crew interviews until
the agency had finished interviewing all three members. The agency plans to begin removing cargo from the plane today, he said.
The crew has been tested for drugs and alcohol, and toxicology screenings will be run, Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said the crew's ability to escape was likely because they were conscious and had been trained on how to get out of a plane
in an emergency.
"There was not any significant damage that would necessarily create significant trauma to the crew" in the cockpit area that the men
occupied, he said.
Extensive fire
The NTSB has interviewed four FedEx ground employees in Tallahassee who witnessed all or part of the aircraft's approach, Rodriguez
said. The employees observed the crew members outside the aircraft, he said. One of the crew members gave documents of the hazardous
materials that were on board to firefighters, and when that took place, they withdrew from their attack on the fire, he said.
The first word of the crash came in a phone call to the Tallahassee Fire Department at 5:39 a.m. Friday saying that a plane had
crashed, according to Division Chief Steve Anderson. Firefighters were on the scene at 5:42 a.m., he said.
Firefighters used 1,600 gallons of foam and 48,000 gallons of water in fighting the fire, Rodriguez said. "That is a lot of
material," he said.
The NTSB takes the lead in investigating plane crashes - unless any indication of criminal activity surfaces. In such cases the FBI,
which also plays a role in investigating plane crashes, takes responsibility for the investigation. The NTSB does not determine the
probable cause of an crash at the scene; it only gathers facts, assisted by other parties.
Plane's pieces inspected
The question of what caused the crash will be addressed in a report by the agency, which Rodriguez said could be nine to 18 months
away. NTSB investigators expect to be at the site gathering evidence for four days to a week.
Fifteen to 20 people, including members of the FBI's evidence team, worked at the site Saturday identifying pieces of the plane. The
pieces were marked with numbered orange flags as they were found. "I think I got part of the landing gear," one of the workers
called out Saturday afternoon.
The full contents of the plane weren't yet known, but hazardous materials were among the plane's cargo, Rodriguez said. The plane
was carrying 60 pounds of detonating cords, 900 pounds of corrosive materials such as automobile batteries and a small amount of
radioactive medical supplies. Rodriguez said the dosage of radiation was not enough to be dangerous to investigators.
The plane's voice and data recorders were retrieved Friday "in excellent condition" and sent to Washington, D.C., for analysis,
Rodriguez said. Investigators will begin readouts of the contents Monday, he said.
The air traffic control tower in Tallahassee was not operating at that hour, so the plane was communicating with the Jacksonville
tower. The plane's last known radio communication was an acknowledgement of clearance from the Jacksonville tower to approach the
runway, Rodriguez said. The plane's crew acknowledged that the airport was in sight from about 20 miles out, he said.
The last time a FedEx plane was destroyed in a crash was in 1997, when an MD-11 crashed in Newark, N.J., officials said. There were
no fatalities in that crash, either; the five people on board received minor injuries.
The NTSB determined that pilot error was the cause of the Newark crash. The plane experienced a hard landing, bounced and the right
main landing gear collapsed on the second touchdown, according to the agency. A fire broke out after the plane came to a stop,
destroying the plane. The agency said the captain's desire to touch down early to ensure adequate stopping distance contributed to
the accident.
