What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Friday, January 25, 2013, at 0457 mountain standard time, a MD-11F registered as N618FE operated by federal express (fedex) corp, experienced a tail strike during landing at Denver International Airport(den), Denver, Colorado on runway 17R. The aircraft suffered substantial damage to the fuselage and pressure vessel. There were no injuries to the two crewmembers or jump seating pilot.
This accident was not of the type which has resulted in several MD-11 hull losses.
Subsequent investigation indicated the captain made a 100,000 lbs error when loading weight data into the flight management system (FMS).
He then failed to initiate the fedex required captain--f/o performance data comparison which would have caught the error.
This resulted in the aircraft FMS commanding an approach speed of 129 KIAS rather than the appropriate 145 KIAS.
The crew flew this speed without reference to the pitch attitude of the aircraft. Normal approach pitch would have been 3-4 degrees. At 500' the pitch was 9 degrees. By 100' the f/o, the flying pilot, had pitched to 12 degrees.
At 50 feet the auto throttles rolled back toward flight idle as designed. The f/o added some power, but the aircraft did not respond as he expected due to the very slow airspeed.
At touchdown the pitch was 13 degrees. The FAA test pilot for the MD-11 stated it will have a tail strike at 10 degrees pitch. The aircraft did not bounce.
All three pilots said they adjusted their seats throughout the approach so as to see the runway--they all thought the landing flare looked normal.
CRM appears to have faltered and the cause appears as fatigue. This highly experienced and trained crew lack a sharpness of thought when connecting perceptions to the safety of their flight. The crew described twelve events that were "indicators something's wrong," but failed to assign any meaningful response to these "out of the norm" observations.
The reported weather observation was four minutes old at the time of the landing, and weather had been constant for the previous several hours. Current weather at den was reported wind at 160 degrees at 13 knots, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 10000 feet, scattered clouds at 20000 feet, temperature -1C, altimeter 30.12.
As the FAA filed it
ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013, AT 0457 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A MD-11F REGISTERED AS N618FE OPERATED BY FEDERAL EXPRESS (FEDEX) CORP, EXPERIENCED A TAIL STRIKE DURING LANDING AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT(DEN), DENVER, COLORADO ON RUNWAY 17R. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND PRESSURE VESSEL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE TWO CREWMEMBERS OR JUMP SEATING PILOT.
THIS ACCIDENT WAS NOT OF THE TYPE WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SEVERAL MD-11 HULL LOSSES.
SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION INDICATED THE CAPTAIN MADE A 100,000 LBS ERROR WHEN LOADING WEIGHT DATA INTO THE FLIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (FMS).
HE THEN FAILED TO INITIATE THE FEDEX REQUIRED CAPTAIN--F/O PERFORMANCE DATA COMPARISON WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR.
THIS RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT FMS COMMANDING AN APPROACH SPEED OF 129 KIAS RATHER THAN THE APPROPRIATE 145 KIAS.
THE CREW FLEW THIS SPEED WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE PITCH ATTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. NORMAL APPROACH PITCH WOULD HAVE BEEN 3-4 DEGREES. AT 500' THE PITCH WAS 9 DEGREES. BY 100' THE F/O, THE FLYING PILOT, HAD PITCHED TO 12 DEGREES.
AT 50 FEET THE AUTO THROTTLES ROLLED BACK TOWARD FLIGHT IDLE AS DESIGNED. THE F/O ADDED SOME POWER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RESPOND AS HE EXPECTED DUE TO THE VERY SLOW AIRSPEED.
AT TOUCHDOWN THE PITCH WAS 13 DEGREES. THE FAA TEST PILOT FOR THE MD-11 STATED IT WILL HAVE A TAIL STRIKE AT 10 DEGREES PITCH. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT BOUNCE.
ALL THREE PILOTS SAID THEY ADJUSTED THEIR SEATS THROUGHOUT THE APPROACH SO AS TO SEE THE RUNWAY--THEY ALL THOUGHT THE LANDING FLARE LOOKED NORMAL.
CRM APPEARS TO HAVE FALTERED AND THE CAUSE APPEARS AS FATIGUE. THIS HIGHLY EXPERIENCED AND TRAINED CREW LACK A SHARPNESS OF THOUGHT WHEN CONNECTING PERCEPTIONS TO THE SAFETY OF THEIR FLIGHT. THE CREW DESCRIBED TWELVE EVENTS THAT WERE "INDICATORS SOMETHING'S WRONG," BUT FAILED TO ASSIGN ANY MEANINGFUL RESPONSE TO THESE "OUT OF THE NORM" OBSERVATIONS.
THE REPORTED WEATHER OBSERVATION WAS FOUR MINUTES OLD AT THE TIME OF THE LANDING, AND WEATHER HAD BEEN CONSTANT FOR THE PREVIOUS SEVERAL HOURS. CURRENT WEATHER AT DEN WAS REPORTED WIND AT 160 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS, 10 MILES VISIBILITY, FEW CLOUDS AT 10000 FEET, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 20000 FEET, TEMPERATURE -1C, ALTIMETER 30.12.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.