# NTSB DCA25LA015: Airbus A300 F4-622R, N162UP, Louisville, KY, October 29, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: October 29, 2024, 11:55 local (15:55 UTC) - Place: Louisville, KY - Coordinates: 38.170667, -85.7308 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.1707&lon=-85.7308&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: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - Parties: Airbus, EASA, BEA France, UPS, FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 195412 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA25LA015 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/195412/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195412 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25LA015 ## Probable cause The pilot’s incorrect pitch attitude during a bounced landing which resulted in a tailstrike. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: pitch control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Airbus A300 F4-622R, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md?model=3940003), [All aircraft, 526 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Airbus A300 F4-622R, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=3940003), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/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: [Airbus A300 F4-622R, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091/sequence.md?model=3940003), [All aircraft, 124 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091/sequence.md) ## Analysis On October 29, 2024, about 1155 eastern daylight time, United Parcel Service (UPS) Company flight 2909 sustained a tailstrike while landing at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), Louisville, KY. According to the flight crew, the captain was the pilot flying, and the first officer (FO) was the pilot monitoring (PM) when they were cleared for the instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 17R at SDF. The airplane was in the landing configuration and on a stabilized approach at 1,000 ft. and 500 ft. above ground level (AGL) respectively per company procedure. After the 500 ft stable callout by the PM, the auto pilot was disengaged and the approach continued with a normal descent rate and the autothrottles engaged. At about 20 ft AGL, power was reduced, and the flare was initiated. The touchdown felt normal, and the PM vocalized the spoiler deployment. Subsequently, the thrust reversers were deployed. The airplane bounced; however, due to the deployment of the thrust reversers a go-around was prohibited. The airplane settled back on the runway and was slowed for taxi. During the taxi, air traffic control advised the flight crew of a possible tailstrike. After the tailstrike, the remainder of the landing rollout and taxi were uneventful. A review of flight data recorder data showed that after the initial touchdown due to excessive energy, the airplane bounced followed by a firm landing. As the airplane’s shock absorber rebounded from the firm landing a nose-up control column was applied and the pitch angle began to increase. Simultaneously, the ground spoilers and thrust reversers continued to deploy, which exacerbated the nose-high attitude and resulted in a pitch angle of about 12 degrees. According to Airbus, after touchdown the flight crew should fly the nosewheel smoothly, but without delay on to the runway, and must be ready to counteract any pitch up effect of the ground spoilers and reverse thrust. The tailstrike resulted in abrasion damage along the aft lower fuselage. An inspection revealed substantial damage to the frames. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N162UP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N162UP), registered now, S/N 0851, built 2005 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRBUS A300 F4-622R - Registry model: [Airbus A300 F4-622R](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-a300-f4-622r) (registry code 3940003) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PW4158](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pw4158) (registry code 52061, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 0851 - Year built: 2005 - Airframe hours: 24598 - Engines: P & W PW4158 58000 lbs thrust turbo fan; P & W PW4158 58000 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: United Parcel Service Co - Registered owner: United Parcel Service Co - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, October 27, 2024 - Departed: ONT, Ontario, CA - Destination: Same as departure - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: SDF, Louisville Muhammad Ali Intl, runway 17R/35L, 11,887 × 150 ft, concrete - Equipment: Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Data recorder, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Satellite tracking device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review March 22, 2024; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 10,440 total, 618 in this make and model, 3,992 as pilot in command, 120 in the last 90 days, 40 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 44; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review August 21, 2024; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 3,506 total, 491 in this make and model, 1,739 as pilot in command, 90 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Other flight crew; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; seat: rear; restraint: lap only ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 13 knots, gusting 18 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 30,000 ft broken - Temperature: 21 °F, dew point 14 °F - Altimeter: 30.24 inHg - Observed at: KSDF ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 2, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195412. 15.1 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19214043&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20dms_Redacted-dms-Rel.pdf - Flight crew statements (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19214145&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Flight%20Crew%20Statements%20NTSB_Redacted-dms-Rel.pdf - Flight data recorder - specialist's factual report (item 3, PDF, 25 pages, 14 photos, 5.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18612712&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report-Rel.pdf - Flight data recorder - specialist's factual report - ATTACHMENT1 - tabular data (item 4, CSV, 6.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18612468&FileExtension=csv&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report%20-%20Attachment1%20-%20Tabular%20Data-Rel.csv 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.