What happened
On March 23, 2009, at approximately 06:49 JST, a Federal Express Corporation McDonnell Douglas MD-11F, registered N526FE, was performing a scheduled cargo flight (FDX80) at Narita International Airport. During the landing on Runway 34L, the aircraft experienced a series of repeated bounces.
During the third touchdown, the structural integrity of the left wing failed, causing it to separate from the fuselage. This failure led to significant fuel spillage, which ignited into a large fire. The aircraft subsequently rolled to the left, veered off the runway, and came to rest inverted in a grassy area. The two crew members on board, the pilot in command and the first officer, both sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and the subsequent post-crash fire.
The investigation
The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) examined flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder information, as well as camera footage of the landing sequence. The investigation focused on the sequence of the aircraft's pitch attitude changes, the impact of wind conditions on the approach, and the structural response of the wing to the landing loads. Investigators also analyzed the aircraft's design regarding how the landing gear support structure handles extreme vertical loads and the effectiveness of crew coordination during the unstable landing.
Findings
- The aircraft approached the runway with a high sink rate and unstable airspeed/pitch attitude due to gusty winds.
- A late flare maneuver and significant nose-down elevator input during the first touchdown initiated a porpoising effect.
- The left wing fractured because the load transferred from the main landing gear during the third touchdown exceeded the aircraft's ultimate design limit.
- The fire was caused by fuel escaping from the fractured wing structure.
- The crew's ability to manage the bounce was hindered by rapid changes in pitch and height, and the pilot monitoring did not adequately intervene or take over control.
- The landing gear support structure's design allowed for a failure mode that resulted in fuel spillage and fire under high vertical loads.