FedEx C-208 Unscheduled landing

[TonyC]

TonyC,

Seems like a good idea to me. PR probably wouldn't want to see a picture of a plane stuck in the mud with FedEx proudly displayed on the tail.

Anyways so does the trucker get violated for failure to yield an aircraft that has declared an emergency?

I understand the idea of not displaying the logo on an out-of-place airplane, but it just seems ironic that they're not fooling everybody. The cardboard and duct tape can only fool the less-informed, if you will.

Actually, I'm a bit surprised Fred hasn't paid the local TV stations to remove the video from their websites yet. The video of the aircrew escaping from the burning MD-10 didn't stay up very long, if you know what I mean.


It sounds like the pilot realized when the engine failed that he would be unable to glide to the nearest airport - - 14 miles - - so he elected to turn north (back towards MEM) and land on the northbound portion of Hiway 61 (4 lane divided, like rural interstate). After landing uneventfully, the pilot and the trainee climbed out and began pushing the airplane off the highway to the right shoulder. While doing so, and while the left wingtip was lifted higher (right side going downhill, off the shoulder) the Werner 18-wheeler hit the trailing edge of the left wing about 4 feet from the wingtip. This sent the airplane completely off the shoulder, ripped the wing almost all the way off, and propelled it in front of the Caravan. Those guys were incredibly lucky they were not killed by the truck, IMO.

Oh, and although it's not clear exactly how far from MEM they had flown before turning around, they landed about 35 miles south of MEM. (35 miles plus the glide distance from 7000' minus the altitude loss for a 180 ???)

 

[Spinn555]

HEY TONY C...


Speaking of the MD-11 with the X-wind landing issues.....have you any word on what happened to the "pilot flying" FO for that incident.

I've heard rumblings that the baed landing in MEM a few months back was not her only bad flying experience at Fed Ex or her previous employer.

Any truths?

 

[CUEBOAT]

I agree with TonyC on the two pilots being lucky not getting hit by the 18wheeler. Imagine surviving an airplane accident/engine failure only to get hit by a truck. Well at least the media could say airplanes are safe and 18wheelers are killing machines.

 

[TonyC]

HEY TONY C...


Speaking of the MD-11 with the X-wind landing issues.....have you any word on what happened to the "pilot flying" FO for that incident.

I've heard rumblings that the baed landing in MEM a few months back was not her only bad flying experience at Fed Ex or her previous employer.

Any truths?

Nothing officially released yet. Anything else would be purely conjecture.

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

Then conjecture away plz Do I look like an NTSB investigator to you?

 

[TonyC]

Then conjecture away plz Do I look like an NTSB investigator to you?

I have no idea what the NTSB would look like on a public internet forum, and I certainly don't hold to any expectation of anonymity here.

Let's say that, given the choice of pilot error or mechanical failure, I would prefer the latter. Naturally, the Company would prefer the former, as the corrective action in that case would be rather straightforward.

I'm anxious to hear from people who KNOW what happened - - conjecture would be a disservice to both pilots.

 

[wingnutt]

One thought.... Training flight.... student (new hire) forgot to secure the dipstick back on the oil cap.

negative, the checkvalve in the oil tank will prevent just such an occurrence

 

[freightdoggie]

The check valve in the oil tank will ONLY prevent the oil from spewing out if the dipstick is left out completely. If the person left it in, but did not secure it, the dipstick would hold the check valve open and allow the oil to spew out. I dont know exactly what rate this would occur.

 

[501261]

It is so entitled because there were some guys out there covering up the Logos with white posterboard and duct tape. WREG has video footage of the "act" from their helicopter. No need to get all that free advertising on the side of the road for the passing motorists.

By the way, that seems to be the norm. Although there is only one company in the whole world that has MD-10's, we painted over the logos on that one when it ran off the runway, too. I suppose it's for the benefit of the observers that don't know any better.

Covering up the N number and Logos is pretty much SOP in most "larger" flight departments. I can remember seeing a blue and white Lear 60 in HYA in 1999 with its N number covered after it went off the end of the runway.

 

[wingnutt]

If the person left it in, but did not secure it...

...then the very pressure that we are worried about would blow the stick completely out of the valve, allowing the ball to settle and prevent catastrophic oil loss

the only caveat to this is that im unsure as to when Cessna began installing the check valve in every 208. this particular aircraft was a 1995 model, and if i recall correctly, it was done in every aircraft since the early 1990's...someone chime in if they know differently