Last updated: 26 October 2021
| Status: | Final |
| Date: | Tuesday 7 June 2005 |
| Time: | 01:25 |
| Type: |  McDonnell Douglas MD-11F |
| Operator: | United Parcel Service - UPS |
| Registration: | N250UP |
| MSN: | 48745/596 |
| First flight: | 1995 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 28231 |
| Engines: | 3 General Electric CF6-80C2D1F |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Repaired |
| Location: | Louisville-Standiford Field, KY (SDF) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Landing (LDG) |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Anchorage-Ted Stevens International Airport, AK (ANC/PANC), United States of America |
| Louisville-Standiford Field, KY (SDF/KSDF), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 6971 |
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F was being flown by a captain seated in the left seat, who was receiving initial operating experience (IOE). A captain seated in the right seat, was the pilot-in-command (PIC) of the flight. After a cargo flight from Anchorage (ANC) the airplane was landing on runway 17L Louisville-Standiford Field, KY (SDF), a 8,579-foot-long, concrete runway, during night visual meteorological conditions. After main gear touchdown, the nose gear touched down, and subsequently collapsed. The airplane sustained damage to and around the pressure bulkhead, at station 625. Data obtained from the flight data recorder revealed that after main gear touchdown, the control column was moved sharply forward resulting in a change in pitch angle from approximately 5 degrees nose up, to about 1 degree nose down, which was accompanied by a reduction in load factor to approximately 0.3 g's. The vertical load factor then spiked to approximately 2.5 g's on nose wheel contact, over twice that of a typical landing, with a load factor increment of 0.75 g's, also excessive.
The aircraft sustained US$10 million damage.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The flying pilot's improper aircraft handling after main landing gear touchdown, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear assembly. Conributing to the accident was the pilot-in-command's inadequate supervision during the landing.."
Accident investigation:
 |
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Classification:
Heavy landingRunway mishap
Sources:
» NTSB id NYC05FA094Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Anchorage-Ted Stevens International Airport, AK to Louisville-Standiford Field, KY as the crow flies is 4975 km (3109 miles).
Distance from Anchorage-Ted Stevens International Airport, AK to Louisville-Standiford Field, KY as the crow flies is 4975 km (3109 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
