FedEx MD-11F plane crash
Tokyo, Japan
Updated on
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F operated by FedEx departed Guangzhou, China on a cargo flight to Tokyo-Narita, Japan. The MD-11 landed in high winds. Two
crewmembers were onboard (the captain and the first officer). The plane crashed on landing at Tokyo airport, killing both crewmembers.
While landing on runway 16R/34L, the airplane bounced on first touchdown, then dropped from 50-100 ft onto the nosewheel at which point, the plane rapidly
banked to the left. The port wing impacted the ground and a fire erupted. The MD-11 rolled further onto its back and slid off the runway. A bright orange
fireball and black billowing smoke engulfed the plane as it flipped and skidded off the runway. Firefighters sprayed foam onto the broken remains of the
plane with its wheels in the air.
Strong winds gusts up to 75 km/h (40 kts) were lashing the airport area at the time of the crash, and that it had warned airlines of wind shear (sudden
change in wind direction that can destabilize a plane). It is probable the plane encountered a wind-shear that caused the MD-11 to dive just before
touching down, then hit violently the runway, bounced, and destabilized the plane.
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