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Cases › DCA17MA022 › The analyst

MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD 10-10FFedEx Express

What the docket says, assembled. No language model is involved, so nothing on this page can be invented — every line traces to a recorder, a report page or the Board's own record.

45
timed facts
8
precedents
43
passages to ask

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passages, not paraphrases
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Every answer is a passage of the docket with the page it came from, or the words “not in the docket”. Nothing is summarised or reasoned for you — read the source.

One timeline

45 timed factsthe recorder events from the FDR report, with the transcript's warnings, callouts, the words nearest each event and the final seconds — on one clock, as printed in each report
  1. 17:41:20.3CVR HOT-1p.8
    “approach brief?”
    read in context ↗
  2. 17:41:28.9CVR HOT-1calloutp.8
    “minimums are set two fifty-seven.”
    read in context ↗
  3. 17:41:31.4CVR HOT-2calloutp.8
    “set (minimum) **.”
    read in context ↗
  4. 17:44:51.2CVR HOTwarningp.11
    “[sound of c-chord, similar to altitude alert]”
    read in context ↗
  5. 17:44:52.5CVR CAWSwarningp.11
    “altitude.”
    read in context ↗
  6. 17:45:59.5CVR HOT-2calloutp.12
    “alright flaps twenty two. gear down. before landing checklist.”
    read in context ↗
  7. 17:46:00.9CVR HOT-1calloutp.12
    “flaps twenty two. landing gear down [straining]. yep.”
    read in context ↗
  8. 17:47:42.6CVR TWRcalloutp.14
    “FedEx nine ten heavy Fort Lauderdale Tower good evening the wind zero five zero at one eight gusts two three. runway one zero left. cleared to land.”
    read in context ↗
  9. 17:47:49.5CVR RDO-1calloutp.14
    “cleared to land on ten left FedEx nine ten heavy.”
    read in context ↗
  10. 17:47:53.1CVR HOT-2calloutp.14
    “cleared to land.”
    read in context ↗
  11. 17:49:07.1CVR CAWSwarningp.15
    “one thousand.”
    read in context ↗
  12. 17:49:12.8CVR CAMwarningp.15
    “[sound of warbling high pitch tone, similar to autopilot disconnect]”
    read in context ↗
  13. 17:49:13.9CVR CAWSwarningp.15
    “autopilot.”
    read in context ↗
  14. 17:49:49.7CVR CAWSwarningp.16
    “five hundred.”
    read in context ↗
  15. 17:49:51.7CVR HOT-1calloutp.16
    “you're stable. cleared to land.”
    read in context ↗
  16. 17:50:20.6CVR CAWSwarningp.16
    “one hundred.”
    read in context ↗
  17. 17:50:25.2CVR CAWSwarningp.16
    “fifty.”
    read in context ↗
  18. 17:50:26.0CVR CAWSwarningp.16
    “forty.”
    read in context ↗
  19. 17:50:27.1CVR CAWSwarningp.17
    “thirty.”
    read in context ↗
  20. 17:50:28.0CVR CAWSwarningp.17
    “twenty.”
    read in context ↗
  21. 17:50:29.5CVR CAWSwarningp.17
    “ten.”
    read in context ↗
  22. 17:50:30.0CVR HOT-1p.17
    “a little more flare.”
    read in context ↗
  23. 17:50:31.00FDRLandingp.4
    Spikes in vertical and longitudinal accelerations indicating the approximate time of the initial touchdown. [Approximate Touchdown]
    see the traces at this moment ↗
  24. 17:50:31.8CVR HOT-2p.17
    “ahh'k.”
    read in context ↗
  25. 17:50:39.9CVR HOT-1p.18
    “go ahead and start brakin' 'er down @.”
    read in context ↗
  26. 17:50:41.25FDRLanding rollp.4
    Increase in brake pedal position angle and decrease in longitudinal acceleration indicate braking. [Brakes Applied]
    see the traces at this moment ↗
  27. 17:50:43.00FDRLanding rollp.4
    Left roll angle increases indicating that the gear has collapsed. [Gear can no longer support the aircraft (start of roll)]
    see the traces at this moment ↗
  28. 17:50:43.8CVR HOT-2p.18
    “#.”
    read in context ↗
  29. 17:50:44.00FDRLanding rollp.4
    Roll angle stabilizing at about -12 degrees (left wing down) and large vertical acceleration spike indicate that the left wing and/or engine have contacted the ground. [Left wing/engine hits the ground (roll stabilizes + big G spike]
    see the traces at this moment ↗
  30. 17:50:44.1CVR HOT-1p.18
    “oh 'jeeeeeze.”
    read in context ↗
  31. 17:51:00.7CVR CAWSwarningp.19
    “landing gear.”
    read in context ↗
  32. 17:51:03.6CVR CAWSwarningp.19
    “landing gear.”
    read in context ↗
  33. 17:51:06.6CVR CAWSwarningp.19
    “landing gear.”
    read in context ↗
  34. 17:51:09.5CVR CAWSwarningp.19
    “landing gear.”
    read in context ↗
  35. 17:51:12.6CVR CAWSwarningp.20
    “landing gear.”
    read in context ↗
  36. 17:51:18.3CVR CAWSwarningp.20
    “landing gear.”
    read in context ↗
  37. 17:51:21.3CVR CAWSwarningp.20
    “landing gear.”
    read in context ↗
  38. 17:51:24.1CVR CAWSfinal secondsp.21
    “landing gear.”
    read in context ↗
  39. 17:51:24.7CVR HOT-1final secondsp.21
    “(hey) we gotta evacuate.”
    read in context ↗
  40. 17:51:25.8CVR CAMfinal secondsp.21
    “[sound of steady tone, similar to gear warning]”
    read in context ↗
  41. 17:51:27.0CVR CAWSfinal secondsp.21
    “(landing gear).”
    read in context ↗
  42. 17:51:27.1CVR HOT-1final secondsp.21
    “give me the evacuation checklist.”
    read in context ↗
  43. 17:51:28.9CVR CAMfinal secondsp.21
    “[sound of steady tone, similar to gear warning]”
    read in context ↗
  44. 17:51:29.7CVR CAMfinal secondsp.21
    “[sound of click and electrical noise]”
    read in context ↗
  45. 17:51:30.0CVR CAWSfinal secondsp.21
    “landing--”
    read in context ↗
FLIGHT DATA RECORDER - SPECIALISTA��S FACTUAL REPORT · 4 events extracted by claude-sonnet-5COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER - GROUP CHAIRMAN'S FACTUAL REPORT · 41 of 161 lines shown
How the Board coded the sequence
  1. Prior to flight: Miscellaneous/other→
  2. Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse→
  3. Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion→
  4. Post-impact: Fire/smoke (post-impact)→
  5. Post-impact: Explosion (post-impact)

Precedents

8 closest casesranked by what happened, in the Board's words, and by the findings and occurrences it coded
  • DCA13FA0942013-05-18substantialmatch 77
    BOMBARDIER DHC8 · Piedmont Airlines
    Newark, NJ
    • ●Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system
    • ●Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure
  • ENG12IA0242012-03-13no fatalitiesmatch 70
    BEECH 1900D · Great Lakes Aviation
    Hays, KS
    • ●Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system
    • ●Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure
  • ENG12IA0132011-12-03no fatalitiesmatch 70
    BEECH 1900D · GREAT LAKES AVIATION LTD
    Denver International Airport, CO
    • ●Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system
    • ●Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure
  • ENG12IA0142012-02-17no fatalitiesmatch 70
    BEECH 1900D · Great Lakes Airlines
    Denver International Airport, CO
    • ●Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system
    • ●Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure
  • DCA20LA0472019-12-23substantialmatch 68
    BOEING 737-824 · United Airlines
    Denver, CO
    • ●Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system
    Landing gear collapse
  • ENG09IA0092009-07-15no fatalitiesmatch 68
    BOEING 737-3B7 · US AIRWAYS INC
    Charlotte (CLT), NC
    • ●Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system
  • DCA23FA4172023-08-21substantialmatch 67
    BOEING 737-890 · Alaska Airlines
    Santa Ana, CA
    • ●Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system
    Landing gear collapse
  • DCA18FA1442018-04-20substantialmatch 66
    MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC 9 83(MD-83) · Caribbean Sun Airlines Inc
    Alexandria, LA
    • ●Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system
    Landing gear collapse

What the record says

a pattern, not a findingacross the 8 closest cases · 8 carry coded findings · 8 have a probable cause
Findings the Board cited in those cases
Occurrences it coded
  • 6 of 8Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
  • 3 of 8Aircraft inspection event
  • 3 of 8Landing gear collapse
Set against the Board’s own findings for this case
Cited here, and common in the precedents
  • Aircraft systems › Landing gear system
  • Management › Policy/procedure
Cited here, not seen in the precedents
  • —
Common in the precedents, not cited here
  • —

A teaching device, not a verdict: what the record would have looked at, next to what the Board found.

In the Board’s words — the closest cases
  • DCA13FA0942013-05-18 · BOMBARDIER DHC8 · Piedmont Airlines
    the frozen left main landing gear (MLG) uplock roller due to lack of lubrication and the uplock latch that had worn beyond acceptable tolerances, which prevented the flight crew from extending the left MLG using the alternate extension system. Contributing to the accident were the operator's improper maintenance practices, which did not detect the lubrication issue with the roller and the wear of the latch.
  • ENG12IA0242012-03-13 · BEECH 1900D · Great Lakes Aviation
    A failure of the nose landing gear end cap due to fatigue. Contributing to the failure were the ineffective inspection and the unknown effect of grain direction on fatigue life.
  • ENG12IA0132011-12-03 · BEECH 1900D · GREAT LAKES AVIATION LTD
    A failure of the nose landing gear end cap due to fatigue. Contributing to the failure were the ineffective inspection and the unknown effect of grain direction on fatigue life.
  • ENG12IA0142012-02-17 · BEECH 1900D · Great Lakes Airlines
    A failure of the nose landing gear end cap due to fatigue. Contributing to the failure were the ineffective inspection and the unknown effect of grain direction on fatigue life.
  • DCA20LA0472019-12-23 · BOEING 737-824 · United Airlines
    Maintenance personnel’s excessive grinding of the left main landing gear’s aft trunnion pin during its initial overhaul, which caused heat damage to the base metal and led to the fatigue crack that caused the pin to fail during the accident flight. Contributing to the accident was the failure of maintenance personnel to detect the excessive grinding during the initial overhaul and the fatigue crack during the subsequent overhaul.

This is the pattern in the NTSB’s own record across similar accidents — which findings it cited, what it coded, what it recommended. It is drawn from the record, not written about this case, and it never assigns blame: investigations exist to prevent the next accident (ICAO Annex 13).