Accident Overview
An Empire Airlines, Inc. cargo flight operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 crashed short of the runway while conducting an instrument approach at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport in Lubbock, Texas. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was operating under an instrument flight rules flight plan.
Injuries and Damage
The captain sustained serious injuries, while the first officer sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged.
Flight Details
The flight, registered to FedEx Corporation, departed from Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, at approximately 0313. It was a supplemental cargo flight. The accident occurred during an instrument approach in icing conditions.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the flight crew's failure to monitor and maintain a minimum safe airspeed while executing an instrument approach in icing conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude. Contributing to the accident were the flight crew's failure to follow published standard operating procedures in response to a flap anomaly, the captain's decision to continue with the unstabilized approach, the flight crew's poor crew resource management, and fatigue due to the time of day in which the accident occurred and a cumulative sleep debt which likely impaired the captain's performance.