What happened
During the early morning hours of July 26, 2002, a scheduled cargo operation involving a Boeing 727-232F, registration N497FE, ended in an accident at Tallahassee Regional Airport. The aircraft, operated by Federal Express, was performing a flight from Memphis International Airport under instrument flight rules.
As the aircraft was on short final approach to runway 9, it made contact with trees located near the airfield. The impact caused the aircraft to crash short of the runway. The incident occurred at approximately 05:37 EDT under night visual meteorological conditions. The collision and the subsequent fire caused the total destruction of the airframe. All three crew members on board, including the captain, first officer, and flight engineer, sustained serious injuries during the event.
Findings
No specific contributing factors or official conclusions regarding the mechanical or operational cause of the impact were provided in the source material.