FedEx Express Flight 14

FedEx Express

Industry	Cargo airline
Founded	April 17, 1971 (1971-04-17)
Headquarters	Memphis , United States
Products	Cargo services
Website	www.fedex.com

FedEx Express Flight 14 was a planned cargo service traveling from Singapore to Newark, New Jersey, with scheduled layovers in Malaysia, Taiwan, and Alaska. On July 31, 1997, the aircraft crashed during its approach at Newark International Airport, overturning and igniting, causing injuries to all five individuals aboard.

Summary

On July 31, 1997, Flight 14 crashed while attempting to land on runway 22R at Newark Airport. The flight itinerary included stops at Penang, Malaysia, Taipei, Taiwan, and Anchorage, Alaska. The crew comprised a Captain and First Officer, along with three passengers, one occupying the jump seat.

The pilots expressed concerns about the limited runway length available for stopping and intended to touch down early on the runway. The aircraft departed with the left engine's thrust reverser non-functional. The crew was aware of previous auto-brake malfunctions on this aircraft type and misinterpreted the runway data, resulting in an underestimated stopping distance.

The landing proceeded without incident until the flare phase. The MD-11 initially touched down but bounced and veered to the right. Upon the second touchdown approximately seconds later, the right landing gear collapsed, causing the No. 3 engine to scrape the runway. As the aircraft continued rolling rightward, structural failure of the right wing spars occurred, leading to the plane coming to rest inverted off the runway and catching fire. All five occupants evacuated through a cockpit window; the aircraft was ultimately destroyed by flames.

Aircraft and crew

The airplane, designated Joshua by FedEx, was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F freighter equipped with three General Electric CF6-80C2D1F engines. Registered in the United States as N611FE, it was delivered new to FedEx in September 1993. Prior to the accident, it had accumulated 13,034 flight hours and completed 2,950 flight cycles. It had been involved in two previous incidents: undercarriage damage from a bounced landing in January 1994 at Memphis International Airport and a tailstrike in November 1994 at Anchorage International Airport. Both incidents were repaired promptly.

The Captain, Robert M. Freeman, aged 46, began working for FedEx in 1988 following its acquisition of Flying Tiger Line, where he had been employed since 1978. He had logged 11,000 total flight hours, including 1,253 hours on the MD-11. The First Officer, Donald E. Goodin, aged 39, joined FedEx in 1994 after serving as a U.S. Air Force pilot from 1977 until 1994. He had amassed 3,703 flight hours overall but only 95 hours on the MD-11.

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause was excessive control inputs by the captain during landing and failure to execute a go-around after an unstable flare. Beginning at approximately 17 feet above ground level, the captain lowered the nose to achieve an earlier touchdown point but then raised it and applied additional thrust to reduce descent rate before pushing the nose down again near initial contact to maintain runway alignment. These delayed and exaggerated control actions prevented a stable landing; a high descent rate combined with rightward roll compressed the right landing gear strut on second touchdown, resulting in failure of the right wing rear spar and rupture of the right fuel tank.

Safety recommendations

Following its inquiry, the NTSB put forward several recommendations aimed at improving the operational safety of the MD-11 aircraft. These suggestions called for the FAA to develop pilot training resources that address key contributors to structural failures, including limitations on sink rates during descent, roll angle restrictions, rates of control input in roll and pitch, procedures for landings on a single gear, diminished lift effects, and impacts resulting from landing gear struts and tires fully compressing. Furthermore, the FAA was encouraged to establish a simulator-based training curriculum emphasizing stabilized approach techniques, identification and recovery from unstabilized landing flares, strategies for managing high sink rates during flare-to-touchdown phases, and tactics to prevent overcontrol as well as premature rotation during bounced landings. The recommendations also highlighted the importance of fostering a strong go-around mindset among pilots.

Aftermath

On October 30, 2000, FedEx terminated Captain Freeman’s employment due to his involvement in the accident. Nevertheless, the FedEx pilots’ union challenged this dismissal, arguing that deficiencies in aircraft design were the primary cause of the crash.

Media

The accidents involving FedEx Express Flight 14 and the similar MD-11 incident with FedEx Express Flight 80 at Narita International Airport in 2009 are depicted in Season 14, Episode 5 ("The Final Push") of the television series Mayday (also known as Air Crash Investigation or Air Disasters).

See also

• Delta Connection Flight 4819 – CRJ-900 bounced and overturned upon landing in 2025
• FedEx Express Flight 80 – MD-11 bounced and overturned during landing in 2009
• List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft

External links

• NTSB investigation docket