Standiford Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Louisville, Kentucky 40241
Tuesady, June 7, 2005 1:25 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F was being flown by a captain seated in the left seat (PF), who was receiving initial operating experience (IOE). A captain seated in the right seat, was the pilot-in-command (PIC) of the flight. The airplane was landing on an 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. Metallurgical examination of the remnants of the nose landing gear assembly were consistent with overstress, and no evidence of any preexisting fractures were observed.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

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.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/7/2005
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 125
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City Louisville
Event State KENTUCKY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 40241
Event Date Year 2005
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 381027N
Event Location Longitude 0854409W
Event Location Airport STANDIFORD FIELD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SDF
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 501
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 56 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID SDF
Elevation of weather observation facility 501
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 15000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Few
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.99
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 4
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 21396
NTSB Notification Source FAA EROC
NTSB Notification Date Jun 7 2005 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Feb 28 2008 3:59PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\johb
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Louisville, KY

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N250UP
NTSB Number NYC05FA094
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name McDonnell Douglas
Aircraft Model MD-11F
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 48795
Certified Max Gross Weight 633000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 7
Number of Engines 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection May 1 2004 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 313
Airframe Hours 28231
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name UNITED PARCEL SERVICE CO
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Louisville
Aircraft Owner State KY
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 40223
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code IPXX
Owner has at least one certificate --
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) --
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ANC
Departure City Anchorage
Departure State AK
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 2316
Departure Time Zone UTC
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code SDF
Destination City Louisville
Destination State KY
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Landing - flare/touchdown
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Apr 1 2006 5:15PM
User who most recently changed record MUZD
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location 17L
Runway Length 8579
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --