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Fedex Express Flight 1478

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Fedex Express Flight 1478
A Fedex Boeing 727-200F identical to the aircraft involved.
Accident
DateJuly 26 2002
SummaryControlled flight into terrain
Site3.6km short of runway 09 at Tallahassee International Airport, Florida, United States
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 727-200F
OperatorFedEx Express
Flight originMemphis International Airport, Tennessee, United States
DestinationTallahassee International Airport, Florida, United States
Passengers0
Crew3
Fatalities0
Injuries3 (serious)

On July 26 2002, a Fedex Express Boeing 727 crashed short of the runway at Tallahassee international airport in Florida. All 3 crew members suffered various injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals. The aircraft was destroyed in the accident making it the 101st loss of a Boeing 727.


Aircraft[edit]

The aircraft was a 28 year old Boeing 727 which had three Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 engines and had the registration number of N497FE. In the aircraft's 28 years of service it had accumulated 37,980 hours of flying time and had completed 23,195 cycles.


Flight[edit]

Fedex Flight 1478 was a scheduled cargo flight from Memphis to Tallahassee on July 26 2002. The Aircraft was a Boeing 727-200 freighter aircraft that was 28 years old.

The aircraft was pushed back from the terminal at 04:24 UTC and was instructed to taxi to the given runway. The first officer was the flying pilot. The aircraft took off at 04:37 UTC and was cleared to climb to the given altitude. The climb and cruise phases of the flight completely uneventful and routine. At 05:11 the flight engineer was given information on the weather at the time from Gainesville Flight service information station. The info stated that there were scattered clouds at 100 feet, 18,000 feet and 25,000 feet. It also stated that winds were from 120° at 5, and that visibility was at 9 miles

The flight engineer informed the captain and first officer of the information given where then the first officer asked which runway they would be using at Tallahassee. Then at 05:12 the captain stated they would land on runway 27. Then at about 05:13 flight 1478 was given permission to descend and to maintain at 24,000 feet where the captain acknowledged the clearance. At 05:19 the first officer requested, " “You wanna land on nine if we see it? We gotta PAPI on nine too" The captain replied, "Yeah, maybe. A longer taxi but the way were comin in probably 27 would be as easy as any of em." "Okay." the copilot responded. Then at about 05:24, the controller advised them to expect a visual approach into Tallahassee when the airport is in sight. Then the captain said " “Runway nine… PAPI on the left side …I don’t know, you wanna try for nine?". At 05:28 the first officer then replied "Okay, runway nine, visual runway nine on the left side approach, check?" The flight engineer asked about briefing for the arrival where the FO replied, "Complete for runway nine." Then the flight was cleared for a visual approach into Tallahassee where the captain stated, "We are gonna be taking runway niner".


The FO then indicated that he saw the runway at 05:30 via calling for flaps 2 at 05:31 and then calling for flaps 5 12 seconds later. At 05:32 the first officer implied, "Hope i'm lookin in the right spot here," whereas the captain replied, " “See that group of bright lights kinda to the south down there and you see the beacon in the middle of it ? …Right over there… you’’re kinda on about… ten mile, left base or so.”" The First officer stated he'd been looking at the wrong lights. The captain advised Tallahassee traffic that flight 1478 was turning onto final for runway 9.

The flight engineer then began the "before landing checklist" at about 05:34. “"landing gear,”" to which the captain responded,"Down in three green.” At about 05:35, the flight engineer stated "Autobreaks," where the captain replied "not installed," The first officer then called for flaps 25 which the captain acknowledged. The engineer asked " Autospoilers?" and the captain replied "not installed,". At 05:36, the flight engineer queried "“flight and nav instruments?" and the captain replied, "cross-checked, no flags.” " Then the FO stated, "“sorry ‘bout that… I was linin’ up on that papermill or something." After the FO started speaking the GPWS announced the aircraft was at 1,000 feet agl. Then the captain said "That's alright no problem." The plane was now 2.5 NM from the runway. It was also transitioning from an angled base-to-final leg to line up with the runway.

Next, the GPWS sounded for 500 to note the plane was flying through 500 feet agl. The captain then stated "stable." The aircraft was now 1.8 NM from the runway descending through 500 feet with an airspeed of 152 knots. At 05:36 the first officer implied, "I'm gonna have to stay just a little bit higher… or I’’m gonna lose the end of the runway." The captain then replied, "Yeah, yeah okay,". Then the FO asked, "Flaps?,". Where the captain responded," “thirty, thirty green light.". The flight engineer asked, "Landing clearance?,". "Cleared to land," stated the captain.


The flight was now 0.9 NM west of the runway descending through about 200 feet agl at an airspeed of 146 knots; the PAPI indication observed from the cockpit would have been four red lights. Then the sound of a crunch was heard and then another crunch and the No. 1 engine EPR began to increase rapidly. At 05:37 the GPWS announced “bank angle, bank angle.” The sound of crunching was heard again and then a vicious loud squeal. Both sounds continued to the end of the recording at 05:37:26.

Federal Express flight 1478 collided with trees in a right-wing-low, slightly nose-up attitude during the approach to runway 9 then impacted the ground, coming to rest 1,555 feet west-southwest of the runway. A postimpact fire ensued and consumed the aircraft; however, the three flight crewmembers exited the airplane through the captain'’s side sliding cockpit window before the fire reached the cockpit. All 3 crew members were seriously injured.

Investigation[edit]

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident of Federal Express flight 1478 was the captain'’s and first officer'’s failure to establish and maintain a proper glidepath during the night visual approach to landing. Contributing to the accident was a combination of the captain'’s and first officer'’s fatigue, the captain'’s and first officer’'s failure to adhere to company flight procedures, the captain'’s and flight engineer’'s failure to monitor the approach, and the first officer'’s color vision deficiency.

See also[edit]

References[edit]


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