Fed Ex B727 Crashs in Florida
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>>I could have sworn that it looked just like an A310 stuck against that chain-link fence. I must have missed that engine in the tail<<
Well, actually FedEx did go off the end with an A-310 in Manila in 1999. About the same time the A-310 was put back in service after repairs, another FedEx crew went off the end and into the water at Subic Bay with an MD-11.
Well, actually FedEx did go off the end with an A-310 in Manila in 1999. About the same time the A-310 was put back in service after repairs, another FedEx crew went off the end and into the water at Subic Bay with an MD-11.
jetsy
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Anyone know if there is an accident report on the net for the MNL incident?
(Brief (very) on both: http://www.airdisaster.com/news/1099/18/news.shtml)
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Midnightspecial,
Whilst I applaud the effort to keep the press from unwanted intrusion, I question the need to keep "...the FEDS away until representation could arrive".
If the crew are medically fit to assist with the investigation into the accident, then immediate access might well prevent recurrence. For example, if the cause was due to a problem with the airport approach equipment, then identification of this must surely be of the highest priority.
The crew can still refuse to answer a question that they feel might incriminate them, until "professional" help arrives, whilst permitting useful information to be gathered by the investigators.
Whilst I applaud the effort to keep the press from unwanted intrusion, I question the need to keep "...the FEDS away until representation could arrive".
If the crew are medically fit to assist with the investigation into the accident, then immediate access might well prevent recurrence. For example, if the cause was due to a problem with the airport approach equipment, then identification of this must surely be of the highest priority.
The crew can still refuse to answer a question that they feel might incriminate them, until "professional" help arrives, whilst permitting useful information to be gathered by the investigators.
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Newswatcher:
First, the crew were not medically fit to assist in the investigation. Due to their injuries they had to have been on powerful painkillers.
Second, if there was an equipment problem that can be checked from the ground or, since it was clear, a flight check aircraft can do the approach and analyze the signal from the air.
Third, you sound like an airplane virgin. Do you fly? Have you ever dealt with the F.A.A. or your British equivalent? Never trust the Feds. They occasionally lie. At an airline I used to fly at, a Fed wrote up a bunch of our pilots by LYING about what they said to him. They got investigated. It didn't matter to this Feds' superiors that he had already had his route check authorization revoked; they started screwing with our pilots anyways. They were only cleared when one had the Fed on tape trying to coerce them to hand over maintenance records with the threat of losing their certificates. It turned out that this Fed has been repeatedly transferred around the country because of certain problems he had in dealing with people. After many thousands of dollars my friends were cleared since they had, of course, done nothing wrong. However, unlike the criminal justice system, with the FAA you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent.
How is a pilot with injuries, in shock, in pain, going to know what to say to a Fed that won't implicate him?
Always wait for the attorneys. That is what they are paid for. It is money well spent because there are some bad Feds out there and they lie.
MS
First, the crew were not medically fit to assist in the investigation. Due to their injuries they had to have been on powerful painkillers.
Second, if there was an equipment problem that can be checked from the ground or, since it was clear, a flight check aircraft can do the approach and analyze the signal from the air.
Third, you sound like an airplane virgin. Do you fly? Have you ever dealt with the F.A.A. or your British equivalent? Never trust the Feds. They occasionally lie. At an airline I used to fly at, a Fed wrote up a bunch of our pilots by LYING about what they said to him. They got investigated. It didn't matter to this Feds' superiors that he had already had his route check authorization revoked; they started screwing with our pilots anyways. They were only cleared when one had the Fed on tape trying to coerce them to hand over maintenance records with the threat of losing their certificates. It turned out that this Fed has been repeatedly transferred around the country because of certain problems he had in dealing with people. After many thousands of dollars my friends were cleared since they had, of course, done nothing wrong. However, unlike the criminal justice system, with the FAA you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent.
How is a pilot with injuries, in shock, in pain, going to know what to say to a Fed that won't implicate him?
Always wait for the attorneys. That is what they are paid for. It is money well spent because there are some bad Feds out there and they lie.
MS
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Midnightspecial,
Thank you for your interesting response.
Your initial posting was short on detail, but you seemed to be making the suggestion that ALPA should be congratulated for denying the FAA access to the crew, until "representation could arrive". I did not wish to pick an argument with you, but felt that there were some circumstances where such "protectionism" could be detrimental.
In the UK, the police are not allowed to interview either a "suspect" or "victim", until they are deemed to be medically fit enough to participate in such a process, I had assumed that it was the same for interviews involving the FAA or AAIB(UK).
You will note that I said "If the crew are medically fit....", and I am more than happy to leave it to the local medical experts to decide this. It is interesting that you believe that the crew were on "powerful painkillers". Earlier reports had a Fedex spokesman saying they were being "..treated at a local hospital for minor injuries". In a later article they were described as in fair condition and "remarkably good shape". I tend to believe the latest AAI report which says that two crew did in fact receive serious injuries. Thankfully they have survived.
I am familiar with the procedures to check for the existence of an equipment problem, but they need to know what to look for in the first instance. My suggestion was just an example of several potential causes which I considered might not be discovered until the crew could be interviewed, the decoding of the various flight recorders taking some further time to complete.
Am I an airplane virgin? Sadly not a pilot, I am a regular and interested passenger, probably covering about 100K miles a year. As such, I put my faith in the infrastructure that exists to make each experience a safe and enjoyable one. I have never had to deal directly with either the FAA or AAIB, but have much respect for their position and professionalism.
I am sorry that you have had a bad experience with the FAA. Unfortunately there will always be exceptions who abuse the privilege of regulated enforcement, the most visible examples may be found in the conduct of a minority of the police! However, the process of investigation can only work if the majority support it.
You Americans have always made greater use of the "fifth amendment" than we have this side of the pond. By all means prevent someone from incriminating themselves, but don't do it in a way that makes it look as though the situation has deteriorated into an "us" and "them" confrontation.
Thank you for your interesting response.
Your initial posting was short on detail, but you seemed to be making the suggestion that ALPA should be congratulated for denying the FAA access to the crew, until "representation could arrive". I did not wish to pick an argument with you, but felt that there were some circumstances where such "protectionism" could be detrimental.
In the UK, the police are not allowed to interview either a "suspect" or "victim", until they are deemed to be medically fit enough to participate in such a process, I had assumed that it was the same for interviews involving the FAA or AAIB(UK).
You will note that I said "If the crew are medically fit....", and I am more than happy to leave it to the local medical experts to decide this. It is interesting that you believe that the crew were on "powerful painkillers". Earlier reports had a Fedex spokesman saying they were being "..treated at a local hospital for minor injuries". In a later article they were described as in fair condition and "remarkably good shape". I tend to believe the latest AAI report which says that two crew did in fact receive serious injuries. Thankfully they have survived.
I am familiar with the procedures to check for the existence of an equipment problem, but they need to know what to look for in the first instance. My suggestion was just an example of several potential causes which I considered might not be discovered until the crew could be interviewed, the decoding of the various flight recorders taking some further time to complete.
Am I an airplane virgin? Sadly not a pilot, I am a regular and interested passenger, probably covering about 100K miles a year. As such, I put my faith in the infrastructure that exists to make each experience a safe and enjoyable one. I have never had to deal directly with either the FAA or AAIB, but have much respect for their position and professionalism.
I am sorry that you have had a bad experience with the FAA. Unfortunately there will always be exceptions who abuse the privilege of regulated enforcement, the most visible examples may be found in the conduct of a minority of the police! However, the process of investigation can only work if the majority support it.
You Americans have always made greater use of the "fifth amendment" than we have this side of the pond. By all means prevent someone from incriminating themselves, but don't do it in a way that makes it look as though the situation has deteriorated into an "us" and "them" confrontation.
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In a major investigation the only difference between FAA and the other parties (company, pilots union, manufacturer, etc) is that FAA is automatically granted party status. FAA has no right to interview anybody -- only NTSB has that right, and they don't try to do so without the pilots having representation available.
As to the guarding of the pilots, that was nice of those guys, but not something necessarily unique to ALPA. At the other accidents (as FPA) we did what was required to ensure that nobody had access to the crews before representation was in place. ALPA does provide other help that is invaluable, but nothing that has been mentioned here and is very off-topic for this thread. I just didn't want people to have the impression that our crews were not being guarded on previous accidents.
As to the guarding of the pilots, that was nice of those guys, but not something necessarily unique to ALPA. At the other accidents (as FPA) we did what was required to ensure that nobody had access to the crews before representation was in place. ALPA does provide other help that is invaluable, but nothing that has been mentioned here and is very off-topic for this thread. I just didn't want people to have the impression that our crews were not being guarded on previous accidents.
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interested parties...
Guarding the crew from anyone other than legal representation is a must. If you've ever been in a car accident, you may be prone to make statements that you would not wish to be on the record.
The FAA would arrive, pen in hand and use those statements against you in any investigation. There are no Miranda Rights where the FAA is concerned and I think they must get a bonus for every ticket they pull.
A friend recently taxied away from a hardstand and hit a fuel truck that had pulled up. The ground crew cleared him to taxi, both crewmembers did the required visual check prior to taxi and had received ATC clearance. The fuel truck pulled up to an aircraft with engines running and beacon light on to begin the fueling process.
The most interesting aspect is that the local police tried to gain access to the crew(before agents whisked them out of town on another flight) to interrogate them. I know this happens in other countries but had never heard of it in the U.S. This was a major metropolitan airport. Everyone wants a piece of the action.TC
The FAA would arrive, pen in hand and use those statements against you in any investigation. There are no Miranda Rights where the FAA is concerned and I think they must get a bonus for every ticket they pull.
A friend recently taxied away from a hardstand and hit a fuel truck that had pulled up. The ground crew cleared him to taxi, both crewmembers did the required visual check prior to taxi and had received ATC clearance. The fuel truck pulled up to an aircraft with engines running and beacon light on to begin the fueling process.
The most interesting aspect is that the local police tried to gain access to the crew(before agents whisked them out of town on another flight) to interrogate them. I know this happens in other countries but had never heard of it in the U.S. This was a major metropolitan airport. Everyone wants a piece of the action.TC
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Newswatcher: It IS an us against them confrontation when dealing with the FAA. Whether you are a 727 crewmember in a crash or a weekend warrior in a Cessna 150 be careful about talking to the Feds.
They don't care about your career or your certificate. As I said earlier you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent. Unlike a pre-Mirandized felon anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Also what you say can be different from what the Fed remembers you saying. Guess who will be believed? Do you think the Feds care?
FAA attorneys don't spend time trying to be nice to pilots. They have a job to do and sometimes that can conflict with your ability to fly. You have this charming, yet naive, belief that Those In Charge know what is best and will only do good.
Go take flying lessons. Get your certificate. Fly for a few years. Deal with the bureaucrats who can determine your future. Then you will understand why the Comair pilots stood guard outside the hospital door for that FedEx crew.
I am speaking from 20 years flying experience. Never talk to the Feds without talking to your attorney first.
They don't care about your career or your certificate. As I said earlier you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent. Unlike a pre-Mirandized felon anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Also what you say can be different from what the Fed remembers you saying. Guess who will be believed? Do you think the Feds care?
FAA attorneys don't spend time trying to be nice to pilots. They have a job to do and sometimes that can conflict with your ability to fly. You have this charming, yet naive, belief that Those In Charge know what is best and will only do good.
Go take flying lessons. Get your certificate. Fly for a few years. Deal with the bureaucrats who can determine your future. Then you will understand why the Comair pilots stood guard outside the hospital door for that FedEx crew.
I am speaking from 20 years flying experience. Never talk to the Feds without talking to your attorney first.
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MidnightSpecial
It is a case of
never trust any official because they have there own personal agenda and if you can assist them all the better. But your personal circumstances will not matter in the end.
Pretty sad but that the way of the world these days. Call me cynical but true
It is a case of
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
Pretty sad but that the way of the world these days. Call me cynical but true
Gatvol
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"If the crew are medically fit to assist with the investigation into the accident, then immediate access might well prevent recurrence. For example, if the cause was due to a problem with the airport approach equipment, then identification of this must surely be of the highest priority.
The crew can still refuse to answer a question that they feel might incriminate them, until "professional" help arrives, whilst permitting useful information to be gathered by the investigators."
Newswatcher
It certainly would be ideal for folks to just let out with everything they know. However the Buzzards on the Fence (Lawyers) are in the wings waiting for an honest and slightly incriminating statement. You pay for representation, you had better use it.
As the Duke said. "Life is Tough, but its Tougher if your Stupid."
The crew can still refuse to answer a question that they feel might incriminate them, until "professional" help arrives, whilst permitting useful information to be gathered by the investigators."
Newswatcher
It certainly would be ideal for folks to just let out with everything they know. However the Buzzards on the Fence (Lawyers) are in the wings waiting for an honest and slightly incriminating statement. You pay for representation, you had better use it.
As the Duke said. "Life is Tough, but its Tougher if your Stupid."
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From today's Tallehassee Democrat:
NTSB investigators return to Washington
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash of FedEx Flight 1478 at Tallahassee Regional Airport, closed down its command post in Tallahassee on Thursday. Investigators, who have been on-site since shortly after the crash, have returned to Washington, said NTSB spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz. The agency still has not interviewed First Officer William Frye, who was flying the plane, Lopatkiewicz said, and does not expect to do so this week. Lopatkiewicz expected the NTSB would have more information about the crash, such as an analysis of the contents of the plane's voice and data recorders, sometime next week.
NTSB investigators return to Washington
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash of FedEx Flight 1478 at Tallahassee Regional Airport, closed down its command post in Tallahassee on Thursday. Investigators, who have been on-site since shortly after the crash, have returned to Washington, said NTSB spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz. The agency still has not interviewed First Officer William Frye, who was flying the plane, Lopatkiewicz said, and does not expect to do so this week. Lopatkiewicz expected the NTSB would have more information about the crash, such as an analysis of the contents of the plane's voice and data recorders, sometime next week.
The NTSB investigation is typically interested in accident prevention, not blame or liability issues. Their interviews are designed to identify issues supporting causal factors, and probable cause and to be used for recomendations for operator's, training, manufacturers, regulators etc.
The degree of cooperation by those being interviewed obviously will reflect on the quality of these recommendations and future prevention.
you reap what you will sow
The degree of cooperation by those being interviewed obviously will reflect on the quality of these recommendations and future prevention.
you reap what you will sow
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The NTSB may not be interested in assessing blame or neglect, but the FAA sure is. Anything that is said to the Safety Board is available to the FAA; retracting one’s statement may lead to perjury charges. Better to wait and be sure of what you’re saying, rather then say the first thing that comes to one’s mind and live in regret
The FAA is very happy to issue pilot certificates, it is job security for them. After issuing the new certificate they will spend the next four or five decades trying to get it back. Nope, it is much better to kindly deny their invitation to chat.
The FAA is very happy to issue pilot certificates, it is job security for them. After issuing the new certificate they will spend the next four or five decades trying to get it back. Nope, it is much better to kindly deny their invitation to chat.
> The FAA is very happy to issue pilot certificates, it is job security for them. After issuing the new certificate they will spend the next four or five decades trying to get it back. Nope, it is much better to kindly deny their invitation to chat.<
Well there are accident investigation folks and regulatory folks. The latter do not participate in the interview process unless invited. The regulatory folks are sure to be incouraged to dig deeper on their own, if the accident investigating folks got little cooperation.
BTDT
Well there are accident investigation folks and regulatory folks. The latter do not participate in the interview process unless invited. The regulatory folks are sure to be incouraged to dig deeper on their own, if the accident investigating folks got little cooperation.
BTDT
What if the FAA had grounded you about five years ago, permanently (following the appeal process) for a minor medical glitch, for which other pilots were never grounded while THEY continued to fly under Parts 121 etc?
You would be very lucky if the NTSB looked at your case and decided to overrule the FAA's random and arbitrary decision. The NTSB overruled only two FAA denials in the last twenty years! Was the NTSB afraid to butt heads with the FAA, due to Washington DC politics?
Read about what two (former) FAA inspectors did to arbitrarily ground airshow pilot (former test pilot) Bob Hoover. Read about how an inspector discoverd a method to ground KIWI Airlines following the crash of Valuejet; see how a trainingform,without a check box for windshear training, can be described as a "falsified training record".
After becoming familiar with some negative characteristics of this out-of-control bureaucracy, maybe only then will the naiive Pprune members begin to comprehend what can suddenly happen to YOUR career in the US, under a so-called "peoples democracy". The egos of some of our bureaucrats might exceed that of Napoleon, Louis XIV, Hermann Goering or even THE Donald Trump.
You would be very lucky if the NTSB looked at your case and decided to overrule the FAA's random and arbitrary decision. The NTSB overruled only two FAA denials in the last twenty years! Was the NTSB afraid to butt heads with the FAA, due to Washington DC politics?
Read about what two (former) FAA inspectors did to arbitrarily ground airshow pilot (former test pilot) Bob Hoover. Read about how an inspector discoverd a method to ground KIWI Airlines following the crash of Valuejet; see how a trainingform,without a check box for windshear training, can be described as a "falsified training record".
After becoming familiar with some negative characteristics of this out-of-control bureaucracy, maybe only then will the naiive Pprune members begin to comprehend what can suddenly happen to YOUR career in the US, under a so-called "peoples democracy". The egos of some of our bureaucrats might exceed that of Napoleon, Louis XIV, Hermann Goering or even THE Donald Trump.
Someone here just installed some silly Microsoft product. It won't let me change the middle of a sentence withoot erasing the rest of the sentence or paragraph! Why change what works on a computer for the sake of change? Screw E-bay!
Union Goon
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In FAA procedings the rules of evidence don't apply either. In other words Heresay is good enough.
Therefor what you say to the accident investigator, whether or not the FAA was actually in the room WILL come back to haunt you.
Cheers
Wino
Therefor what you say to the accident investigator, whether or not the FAA was actually in the room WILL come back to haunt you.
Cheers
Wino
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NTSB Advisory
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
August 7, 2002
UPDATE ON INVESTIGATION INTO THE CRASH OF
FEDEX FLIGHT 1478, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA
The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a Go Team to
investigate the crash of FedEx flight 1478, a Boeing 727-232 (N497FE). The
plane crashed on approach to Tallahassee Regional Airport at approximately
5:40 a.m., July 26, 2002, following a flight from Memphis, Tennessee. The
three crewmembers survived but the aircraft was destroyed by post-impact
fire. The following is a summary of factual information released by the
investigative team.
Air Traffic Control
Because the Tallahassee tower was not scheduled to open until 6:00
a.m., the FedEx crew was in contact with Jacksonville Center. The aircraft
was attempting a visual approach to Runway 09. The last communication from
the flight crew to air traffic control was a routine call that they had the
airport in sight.
Wreckage Path
The aircraft first impacted trees 3,650 feet short of the runway,
generally along the runway centerline. The tops of the trees were broken
about 50 feet above ground level. The plane descended through trees until
impacting the ground about 1,000 feet later. It slid an additional 1,100
feet - most of it in open field - and came to rest about 1,000 feet from the
runway facing in the opposite direction of travel (approximately 260
degrees). The plane struck construction vehicles that were parked on the
field during the night. Burn marks on the ground indicate a fire on the
plane for the last 1,000 feet or so of travel. The entire wreckage path was
on airport property.
Weather
The surface observation at 5:53 a.m. (about 10 minutes after the
crash) was wind calm, visibility 8 miles, few clouds at 100 feet, scattered
clouds at 15,000 feet and 25,000 feet, temperature and dew point 22 degrees
Celsius, altimeter 30.11. The observer stated that the "clouds at 100 feet"
were thin wisps near trees west of the airport, and there were no
obstructions to visibility in the approach zone.
Fire Fighting
When the airport fire fighting units arrived at the wreckage scene
at about 5:45, all three flight crewmembers were outside the aircraft and
ambulatory. At 5:48, one of the crewmembers gave the fire fighters a list
of hazardous materials that were on the plane. Fire fighting was slowed by
the presence of HAZMAT, but the fire was declared under control at 7:52 a.m.
and out at 9:40. Fire fighters reported that they expended about 1,000
pounds of purple K (a dry chemical agent for metal fires), 2,100 gallons of
foam, and 67,900 gallons of water.
Cargo
Among the cargo on board the plane were some hazardous materials
consisting of 60 pounds of detonating fuse (1.128 grams of actual
explosive), 900 pounds of corrosive materials (such as batteries), and an
amount of radioactive medical supplies. The medical supplies were removed
from the aircraft the next day and most of the other hazardous materials
were destroyed in the post-crash fire.
Engines
Engines 1 and 2 were Pratt and Whitney JT8D-15s, and engine 3 was a
JT8D-15A. All exhibited signs of rotational damage (indicative of operation
at impact) and none exhibited signs of uncontained engine failure, in-flight
fire, bird strike or pre-impact failure.
Flight Crew
The captain was hired by FedEx on August 6, 1992. He reported
approximately 14,000 flight hours, of which 860 were as Pilot in Command on
727s. The first officer was hired on October 29, 1997. Records indicate he
had 2,640 total flight hours, of which 525 were in the 727. The flight
engineer was hired on September 3, 2001. He reported approximately 2,600
total flying hours, including 345 in the 727.
The Captain and the Flight Engineer have been interviewed. Both
state that they cannot remember much about the accident itself. The Flight
Engineer reported that the initial descent was through layers of clouds, and
they were anticipating possible fog due to the temperature/dew point spread,
but that the airport was sighted by all three crewmen. The pilots briefed
the approach to Runway 27, but the First Officer, who was the flying pilot,
suggested that they use Runway 09 because it was straight in and the winds
were calm. The crews' statements indicate that the base leg was normal and
the PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator) was visible on final approach,
gear was down, and flaps set at 30 degrees. The Flight Engineer stated that
he saw no fog during the approach. The captain reported that all three
crewmembers exited through his sliding window. The First Officer has not
been interviewed due to his medical condition.
Flight Recorders
The flight data recorder was a Honeywell Solid State Universal
Flight Data Recorder containing about 60 parameters of information. The
cockpit voice recorder was a Fairchild A-100 tape recorder with
approximately 32 minutes of recording capacity. Both were recovered in
excellent condition.
Parties
Parties to the investigation are the Federal Aviation
Administration, FedEx Corporation, Boeing Commercial Aircraft, Pratt and
Whitney Engines, the Airline Pilots Association, the National Air Traffic
Controllers Association, and Tallahassee Regional Airport.
On-scene Close Out
The last members of the NTSB investigative team left Tallahassee on
August 1. Other than some aircraft system components taken by the Board for
possible future examination, the wreckage was released to the owner on that
day. The remainder of the investigation will be directed from Safety Board
headquarters in Washington.
- 30 -
NTSB Press Contact: Ted Lopatkiewicz
(202) 314-6100
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
August 7, 2002
UPDATE ON INVESTIGATION INTO THE CRASH OF
FEDEX FLIGHT 1478, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA
The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a Go Team to
investigate the crash of FedEx flight 1478, a Boeing 727-232 (N497FE). The
plane crashed on approach to Tallahassee Regional Airport at approximately
5:40 a.m., July 26, 2002, following a flight from Memphis, Tennessee. The
three crewmembers survived but the aircraft was destroyed by post-impact
fire. The following is a summary of factual information released by the
investigative team.
Air Traffic Control
Because the Tallahassee tower was not scheduled to open until 6:00
a.m., the FedEx crew was in contact with Jacksonville Center. The aircraft
was attempting a visual approach to Runway 09. The last communication from
the flight crew to air traffic control was a routine call that they had the
airport in sight.
Wreckage Path
The aircraft first impacted trees 3,650 feet short of the runway,
generally along the runway centerline. The tops of the trees were broken
about 50 feet above ground level. The plane descended through trees until
impacting the ground about 1,000 feet later. It slid an additional 1,100
feet - most of it in open field - and came to rest about 1,000 feet from the
runway facing in the opposite direction of travel (approximately 260
degrees). The plane struck construction vehicles that were parked on the
field during the night. Burn marks on the ground indicate a fire on the
plane for the last 1,000 feet or so of travel. The entire wreckage path was
on airport property.
Weather
The surface observation at 5:53 a.m. (about 10 minutes after the
crash) was wind calm, visibility 8 miles, few clouds at 100 feet, scattered
clouds at 15,000 feet and 25,000 feet, temperature and dew point 22 degrees
Celsius, altimeter 30.11. The observer stated that the "clouds at 100 feet"
were thin wisps near trees west of the airport, and there were no
obstructions to visibility in the approach zone.
Fire Fighting
When the airport fire fighting units arrived at the wreckage scene
at about 5:45, all three flight crewmembers were outside the aircraft and
ambulatory. At 5:48, one of the crewmembers gave the fire fighters a list
of hazardous materials that were on the plane. Fire fighting was slowed by
the presence of HAZMAT, but the fire was declared under control at 7:52 a.m.
and out at 9:40. Fire fighters reported that they expended about 1,000
pounds of purple K (a dry chemical agent for metal fires), 2,100 gallons of
foam, and 67,900 gallons of water.
Cargo
Among the cargo on board the plane were some hazardous materials
consisting of 60 pounds of detonating fuse (1.128 grams of actual
explosive), 900 pounds of corrosive materials (such as batteries), and an
amount of radioactive medical supplies. The medical supplies were removed
from the aircraft the next day and most of the other hazardous materials
were destroyed in the post-crash fire.
Engines
Engines 1 and 2 were Pratt and Whitney JT8D-15s, and engine 3 was a
JT8D-15A. All exhibited signs of rotational damage (indicative of operation
at impact) and none exhibited signs of uncontained engine failure, in-flight
fire, bird strike or pre-impact failure.
Flight Crew
The captain was hired by FedEx on August 6, 1992. He reported
approximately 14,000 flight hours, of which 860 were as Pilot in Command on
727s. The first officer was hired on October 29, 1997. Records indicate he
had 2,640 total flight hours, of which 525 were in the 727. The flight
engineer was hired on September 3, 2001. He reported approximately 2,600
total flying hours, including 345 in the 727.
The Captain and the Flight Engineer have been interviewed. Both
state that they cannot remember much about the accident itself. The Flight
Engineer reported that the initial descent was through layers of clouds, and
they were anticipating possible fog due to the temperature/dew point spread,
but that the airport was sighted by all three crewmen. The pilots briefed
the approach to Runway 27, but the First Officer, who was the flying pilot,
suggested that they use Runway 09 because it was straight in and the winds
were calm. The crews' statements indicate that the base leg was normal and
the PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator) was visible on final approach,
gear was down, and flaps set at 30 degrees. The Flight Engineer stated that
he saw no fog during the approach. The captain reported that all three
crewmembers exited through his sliding window. The First Officer has not
been interviewed due to his medical condition.
Flight Recorders
The flight data recorder was a Honeywell Solid State Universal
Flight Data Recorder containing about 60 parameters of information. The
cockpit voice recorder was a Fairchild A-100 tape recorder with
approximately 32 minutes of recording capacity. Both were recovered in
excellent condition.
Parties
Parties to the investigation are the Federal Aviation
Administration, FedEx Corporation, Boeing Commercial Aircraft, Pratt and
Whitney Engines, the Airline Pilots Association, the National Air Traffic
Controllers Association, and Tallahassee Regional Airport.
On-scene Close Out
The last members of the NTSB investigative team left Tallahassee on
August 1. Other than some aircraft system components taken by the Board for
possible future examination, the wreckage was released to the owner on that
day. The remainder of the investigation will be directed from Safety Board
headquarters in Washington.
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NTSB Press Contact: Ted Lopatkiewicz
(202) 314-6100