# NTSB FTW95LA055: Boeing 757-24APF, N413UP, Tulsa, OK, November 25, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: November 25, 1994, 05:49 local (11:49 UTC) - Place: Tulsa, OK - Coordinates: 36.189632, -95.910705 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.1896&lon=-95.9107&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 18, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 19312 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW95LA055 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/19312/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW95LA055 ## Probable cause THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VREF DURING APPROACH AND HIS IMPROPER FLARE TOUCHDOWN THAT RESULTED IN AN EXCESSIVE PITCH UP ATTITUDE FOLLOWING TOUCHDOWN. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Dragged wing,rotor,pod,float or tail/skid, landing - airspeed(vref) - not maintained, pilot in command (contributing factor) - flare - improper, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis DURING LANDING THE AIRCRAFT'S TAIL STRUCK THE RUNWAY. THE APPROACH WAS CLASSIFIED BY THE PILOT AND THE OPERATOR AS 'NORMAL' UNTIL AFTER TOUCH DOWN; HOWEVER IT WAS NOTED ON THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER THE AIRCRAFT DECELERATED TO VREF -8 BEFORE TOUCHDOWN AND FLOATED FOR 8 SECONDS. FOLLOWING THE TOUCH DOWN, THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO INCREASE THE PITCH UP ATTITUDE TO '10.9 DEGREES.' THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS STATES THAT IF THE 'PITCH ATTITUDE SURPASSES 10.5 DEGREES WITH THE LANDING GEAR COMPRESSED THE TAIL WILL STRIKE THE RUNWAY.' THE PILOT HAD A HISTORY OF EXPERIMENTING WITH AERODYNAMIC BRAKING DURING LANDINGS. ## Factual narrative On November 25, 1994, at 0549 central standard time, a Boeing 757-24APF, N413UP, was substantially damaged during landing at the Tulsa International Airport, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The airplane, owned and operated by United Parcel Service, Inc., (UPS) as flight 732 and flown by two airline transport rated pilots, was on a 14 CFR Part 121 cargo flight. An IFR flight plan was in effect and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Neither of the two crewmembers, the sole occupants, were injured. During interviews conducted by the operator's flight standards division, the captain admitted to performing non-standard approaches previously, and he liked to "experiment with dynamic braking;" however, "he was not deliberately trying aerodynamic braking on this landing." Other crew members who had flown with the captain stated that "he often experimented and that he had a tendency toward non-compliance with standard operating procedures outlined in the UPS manuals." The aircraft was equipped with a Fairchild model F1000 digital flight data recorder. The recorder was removed from the aircraft by the company and transported to Louisville, Kentucky, for read out and analysis. The recorder provided the following information: the approach was stable down to 50 feet, the approach speed was 130 knots (Vref +4), the airspeed was decreased to 118 knots (Vref minus 8 knots), the aircraft floated down the runway for approximately 8 seconds. The recorder also indicated that pitch attitude was increasing as the airspeed dissipated. The pitch attitude at touchdown was 7.3 degrees and reached 10.9 degrees in the next 5 seconds. A review of the UPS manuals determined that the approach did not comply with the published procedures for this aircraft. Boeing Aircraft Company data, published to the users, states that the tail strike will occur at approximately 10.5 degrees pitch up attitude with gear struts compressed. According to the operator, the airplane experienced a tail strike during landing which caused substantial structural damage. An inspection revealed damage to the belly skin, stringers, drain mast, and aft bulkhead. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N413UP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N413UP), registered now, S/N 23853, built 1988 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOEING 757-24APF - Registry model: [Boeing 757-24APF](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-757-24apf) (registry code 1384969) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PW2040](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pw2040) (registry code 52121, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 23853 - Airframe hours: 8830 - Engines: P&W 2040 40000 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: United Parcel Service Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, November 24, 1994, 3 hours before - Departed: SDF, LOUISVILLE, KY - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: TUL, Tulsa International, runway 18L, 10,000 × 200 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 9,000 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 6,000 as pilot in command, 200 in the last 90 days, 70 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 200° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,900 ft overcast - Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: TUL ## 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 19941125040459A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941125040459A), Nov 25, 1994: Boeing 75724APF, Tulsa, OK, Substantial damage. Pitch up on landing too high. Tail struck runway on touchdown. Damaged aft fuselage. Pilot at the controls. 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.