Casualties unknown

Hard Landing Causes Nose Tire Failure and Engine Foreign Object Damage (IDUPO)

Chicago, IL, US

On August 19, 1994, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F (registration IDUPO) operated by Alitalia was involved in an aviation accident near Chicago, IL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE FIRST OFFICER'S IMPROPER FLARE AND IMPROPER USE OF FLIGHT CONTROLS DURING THE LANDING FLARE/TOUCHDOWN. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A hard landing with 1.9488 G acceleration led to nose tire failure, structural damage, and foreign object damage to the #1 and #3 engines. Flight data recorder showed pitch oscillations and spoiler deflections under 8 degrees.

Incident Overview

The airplane experienced a hard landing during the initial touchdown. As a result, the nose tires failed, and damage occurred to the general area of the nose landing gear support structure. Additionally, foreign object damage was sustained by the #1 and #3 engines.

Flight Data Recorder Analysis

Data from the flight data recorder (FDR) indicated that the initial touchdown acceleration had a value of 1.9488 G's. At that time, the throttle resolver angles were 52.03, 51.33, and 49.22 degrees for the number one, two, and three engines, respectively. The FDR also revealed that after touchdown, the airplane experienced four oscillations in the pitch axis. The maximum pitch angle during this time was +5.98 degrees nose up, and the minimum value was -2.46 degrees nose down. During this time frame, spoiler positions never exceeded 8.0 degrees of deflection, and the nose weight on wheels parameter changed four times.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001206X02028. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.