# NTSB DCA13CA043: Mcdonnell Douglas MD11, N618FE, Denver, CO, January 25, 2013 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: January 25, 2013, 05:30 local (11:30 UTC) - Place: Denver, CO - Coordinates: 39.856666, -104.660278 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8567&lon=-104.6603&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Tailstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 30, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 86093 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA13CA043 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/86093/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=86093 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA13CA043 ## Probable cause the flight crews failure to perform a takeoff performance data briefing following the final entries into the Flight Management System, which would have alerted them to the incorrect weight entry and resulting incorrect landing speeds. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the flight crew to recognize and respond to various visual cues indicating the airplane's airspeed was too slow, resulting in a higher than normal pitch during landing and the tail of the airplane striking the runway. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot; cases with it: [Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=3023600), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) - [Action: forgotten action/omission](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Flight crew (probable cause); cases with it: [Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md?model=3023600), [All aircraft, 440 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Flight crew (probable cause); cases with it: [Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md?model=3023600), [All aircraft, 559 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Tailstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091) (defining event); cases with it: [Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091/sequence.md?model=3023600), [All aircraft, 124 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091/sequence.md) ## Analysis On January 25, 2013, at approximately 0457 mountain standard time, FedEx Express flight 1420, a Boeing MD-11F, N618FE, experienced a tail strike during landing on runway 17 at Denver International Airport (KDEN), Denver, Colorado. There were no injuries to the 3 flight crew, and the airplane sustained substantial damages. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Memphis International Airport (KMEM), Memphis, Tennessee, to Denver, Colorado. According to the flightcrew and a review of dispatch records, during the preflight while in Memphis, after receiving multiple weight and balance (W&B) messages, the captain had erroneously entered an airplane zero fuel weight (ZFW) that was 100,000 lbs. less than the actual ZFW when the first officer was out of the cockpit. After the captain made the incorrect ZFW entry, the flight crew did not perform another takeoff performance data briefing, and therefore did not recognize the captain's entry error that resulted in incorrect landing speeds calculated by the flight management software for the flight. During the approach, the flight crew did not notice indications that the target landing airspeed was too low, such as the Angle of Attack (AOA) indicator in the captains Heads Up Display (HUD) that was outside of the speed reference band, and the pitch of the airplane, which was about 7-8 degrees airplane nose up, whereas the normal airplane pitch on approach was 4-6 degrees pitch. The first officer also stated that during the approach he noticed that his airspeed indication had an amber box surrounding it, which is an indication that the airspeed had reached Vmin and was approaching a stall condition. During the flare and landing, the tail of the airplane struck the surface of the runway. The aircraft taxied normally to the cargo ramp, and an inspection revealed substantial damage to the skin, stringers, beams, APU compartment bulkhead, and aft pressure bulkhead of the airplane. ## Factual narrative On January 25, 2013, at approximately 0457 mountain standard time, FedEx Express flight 1420, a Boeing MD-11F, N618FE, experienced a tail strike during landing on runway 17 at Denver International Airport (KDEN), Denver, Colorado. There were no injuries to the 3 flight crew, and the airplane sustained substantial damages. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Memphis International Airport (KMEM), Memphis, Tennessee, to Denver, Colorado. According to the flightcrew and a review of dispatch records, during the preflight while in Memphis, after receiving multiple weight and balance (W&B) messages, the captain had erroneously entered an airplane zero fuel weight (ZFW) that was 100,000 lbs. less than the actual ZFW when the first officer was out of the cockpit. After the captain made the incorrect ZFW entry, the flight crew did not perform another takeoff performance data briefing, and therefore did not recognize the captain's entry error that resulted in incorrect landing speeds calculated by the flight management software for the flight. During the approach, the flight crew did not notice indications that the target landing airspeed was too low, such as the Angle of Attack (AOA) indicator in the captains Heads Up Display (HUD) that was outside of the speed reference band, and the pitch of the airplane, which was about 7-8 degrees airplane nose up, whereas the normal airplane pitch on approach was 4-6 degrees pitch. The first officer also stated that during the approach he noticed that his airspeed indication had an amber box surrounding it, which is an indication that the airspeed had reached Vmin and was approaching a stall condition. During the flare and landing, the tail of the airplane struck the surface of the runway. The aircraft taxied normally to the cargo ramp, and an inspection revealed substantial damage to the skin, stringers, beams, APU compartment bulkhead, and aft pressure bulkhead of the airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N618FE](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N618FE), registered now, S/N 48754, built 1996 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD11 (F) - Registry model: [Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F](https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-md-11f) (registry code 3023600) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [GE CF6-80 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-cf6-80-series) (registry code 30025, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 48754 - Airframe hours: 57148 - Engines: General Electric CF6-80C2D1F 60690 lbs thrust turbo fan; General Electric CF6-80C2D1F 60690 lbs thrust turbo fan; General Electric CF6-80C2D1F 60690 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Federal Express Corp - Registered owner: Federal Express Corp - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, January 14, 2013 - Departed: KMEM, Memphis, TN - Destination: KDEN, Denver, CO - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: KDEN, Denver International, runway 17R, 12,000 × 150 ft, concrete - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, unknown; last flight review June 2, 2012; seat: left; flight hours: 18,340 total, 3,101 in this make and model - Co-pilot; age 52; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, unknown; last flight review October 28, 2012; seat: right; flight hours: 4,930 total, 2,407 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn - Wind: 160° at 13 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 30 °F, dew point 21 °F - Altimeter: 30.12 inHg - Observed at: DEN ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20130125002289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130125002289A), Jan 25, 2013: Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F, Denver, CO, Substantial damage. 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… ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 31, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=86093. 58.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 596 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40481741&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Flight Data Recorder 10 - Specialist's Factual Report (item 2, .PDF, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40403541&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF - Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1 (FDR tabular data for event flight) (item 3, .CSV, 52.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40403543&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Attachment%201%20(FDR%20tabular%20data%20for%20event%20flight)-Master.csv - Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 2 (FDR tabular data for previous takeoff) (item 4, .CSV, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40403544&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Attachment%202%20(FDR%20tabular%20data%20for%20previous%20takeoff)-Master.csv - Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 3 (FDR tabular data for previous landing) (item 5, .CSV, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40403545&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Attachment%203%20(FDR%20tabular%20data%20for%20previous%20landing)-Master.csv - Operations 2 Group Chairman Factual (item 6, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40481742&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Operations%202%20Group%20Chairman%20Factual-Master.PDF - Operations 2 Attachment 1 Interview Summaries and Crew Statements (item 7, .PDF, 188 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40481743&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Operations%202%20Attachment%201%20Interview%20Summaries%20and%20Crew%20Statements-Master.PDF - Operations 2 Attachment 2 - Weight and Balance Messages (item 8, .PDF, 60 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40481744&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Operations%202%20Attachment%202%20-%20Weight%20and%20Balance%20Messages-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.