ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10CF N68055 Newburgh-Stewart Airport, NY (SWF)

Home » Database » 1996

Status:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:	Thursday 5 September 1996
Time:	05:54
Type:	McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10CF
Operator:	FedEx
Registration:	N68055
MSN:	47809/191
First flight:	1975
Total airframe hrs:	38271
Cycles:	17818
Engines:	3 General Electric CF6-6D
Crew:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Total:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Aircraft fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	Newburgh-Stewart Airport, NY (SWF) ( United States of America)
Crash site elevation:	150 m (492 feet) amsl
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Memphis International Airport, TN (MEM/KMEM), United States of America
Destination airport:	Boston-Logan International Airport, MA (BOS/KBOS), United States of America
Flightnumber:	1406

Narrative:
En route from Memphis to Boston, flying at FL330, the warnings indicated smoke on cargo areas 7, 8, and 9 on the upper deck. A rapid emergency descent was carried with full speed brakes and at maximum speed during the descent, no. 6 and no.10 smoke warning lights also illuminated.
An emergency landing was carried out 20 mins. later at Newburgh runway 27.
The aircraft was taxied onto a taxiway and evacuated immediately. The captain had some trouble opening the side window, because the aircraft was still pressurized. Visibility suddenly went to near zero as the cockpit filled with smoke. The cockpit crew exited the aircraft using a rope. The jump seat crew exited via the right emergency slide.
Firefighters were not able to reach the source of the smoke due to the cargo arrangement. But 40 minutes after landing, the fire increased and burned through the fuselage. The aft fuselage structure was weakened by the fire, causing the tail section to separate. About 4 hours after landing, the fire was extinguished.
The DC-10, named 'Chandra Renee' had accumulated 38271 hours and 17818 cycles.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "An in-flight cargo fire of undetermined origin."

Accident investigation:

Investigating agency:	NTSB
Status:	Investigation completed
Duration:	1 year and 11 months
Accident number:	NTSB/AAR-98-03
Download report:	Final report

Classification:

Cargo fire/smoke
Forced landing on runway

Sources:

» Business & Commercial Aviation Sept. 1997 (140-146)
» ICAO Adrep Summary 4/97 (#26)
» After Smoke Detected in Cargo Compartment Crew Lands DC-10, Then Fire Destroys Aircraft

Follow-up / safety actions

NTSB issued 10 Safety Recommendations

Issued: 12-AUG-1998	To: U.S. DoT	A-98-71
REQUIRE, WITHIN 2 YEARS, THAT PERSON OFFERING ANY SHIPMENT FOR AIR TRANSPORTATION PROVIDE WRITTEN RESPONSES, ON SHIPPING PAPERS, TO INQUIRIES ABOUT HAZARDOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SHIPMENT, AND DEVELOP OTHER PROCEDURES AND TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE THE DETECTION OF UNDECLARED HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OFFERED FOR TRANSPORTATION. (Closed - Unacceptable Action)
Issued: 12-AUG-1998	To: FAA	A-98-72
REQUIRE THE PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS INSPECTOR FOR FEDERAL EXPRESS (FEDEX) TO REVIEW THE CREW\'S ACTIONS ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT & EVALUATE THOSE ACTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF FEDEX EMERGENCY PROCEDURES & TRAINING (INCLUDING PROCEDURES & TRAINING IN CREW RESOURCE MANAGEMENT) TO DETERMINE WHETHER ANY CHANGES ARE REQUIRED IN FEDEX PROCEDURES & TRAINING. (Closed - Acceptable Action)
Issued: 12-AUG-1998	To: FAA	A-98-73
REQUIRE FEDERAL EXPRESS TO MODIFY ITS EVACUATION CHECKLIST & TRAINING TO EMPHASIZE THE AVAILABILITY OF PROTECTIVE BREATHING EQUIPMENT DURING EVACUATIONS IN AN ENVIRONMENT CONTAINING SMOKE, FIRE OR TOXIC FUMES. (Closed - Acceptable Action)
Issued: 12-AUG-1998	To: FAA	A-98-74
REQUIRE ALL PART 121 OPERATORS OF AIRPLANES THAT RELY ON AIR PRESSURE TO OPEN EXIT DOORS TO MAKE CREWMEMBERS AWARE OF CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS ACCIDENT & REMIND THEM OF THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE AIRPLANE IS DEPRESSURIZED BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE PASSENGER EXIT DOORS IN AN EMERGENCY. (Closed - Unacceptable Action)
Issued: 12-AUG-1998	To: FAA	A-98-75
REQUIRE, WITHIN 2 YEARS, THAT AIR CARRIERS TRANSPORTING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS HAVE THE MEANS, 24 HOURS DAY, TO QUICKLY RETRIEVE & PROVIDE CONSOLIDATED, SPECIFIC INFO ABOUT THE IDENTITY (INCLUDING PROPER SHIPPING NAME), HAZARD CLASS, QUANTITY, NUMBER OF PACKAGES, & LOCATION OF ALL HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ON AN AIRPLANE IN A TIMELY MANNER TO EMERGENCY RESPONDERS. (Closed--No Longer Applicable)
Issued: 12-AUG-1998	To: FAA	A-98-76
REQUIRE THE PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS INSPECTOR FOR FEDERAL EXPRESS (FEDEX) TO ENSURE THAT ALL FEDEX EMPLOYEES WHO MAY COMMUNICATE WITH EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ABOUT A TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENT INVOLVING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS UNDERSTAND THAT THEY SHOULD PROVIDE THOSE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WITH ANY AVAILABLE INFO ABOUT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS THAT MAY BE INVOLVED. (Closed - Acceptable Action)
Issued: 12-AUG-1998	To: FAA	A-98-77
REQUIRE ALL CERTIFICATED AIRPORTS TO COORDINATE WITH APPROPRIATE FIRE DEPARTMENTS, ALL STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES THAT MIGHT BECOME INVOLVED IN RESPONDING TO AN AVIATION ACCIDENT INVOLVING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE PLAN FOR THE AIRPORT THAT SPECIFIES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH PARTICIPATING LOCAL REGIONAL, AND STATE AGENCY, AND ADDRESSES THE DISSEMINATION OF INFO ABOUT THE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INVOLVED. SUCH PLANS SHOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE TYPES OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT THAT COULD OCCUR AT THE AIRPORT BASED ON THE POTENTIAL TYPES AND SOURCES OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PASSING THROUGH THE AIRPORT. AIRPORTS SHOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED TO COORDINATE THE SCHEDULING OF JOINT EXERCISES TO TEST THESE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS EMERGENCY PLANS. (Closed - Acceptable Action)
Issued: 12-AUG-1998	To: FAA	A-98-78
REEXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF ON-BOARD AIRPLANE CABIN INTERIOR FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEMS FOR AIRPLANES OPERATING UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 121 &, IF FOUND FEASIBLE, REQUIRE THE USE OF SUCH SYSTEMS. (Closed - Acceptable Action)
Issued: 12-AUG-1998	To: FAA	A-98-79
REVIEW THE AIRCRAFT CABIN INTERIOR FIREFIGHTING POLICIES, TACTICS, & PROCEDURES CURRENTLY IN USE, & TAKE ACTION TO DEVELOP & IMPLEMENT IMPROVEMENTS IN FIREFIGHT TRAINING & EQUIPMENT TO ENABLE FIREFIGHTERS TO EXTINGUISH AIRCRAFT INTERIOR FIRE MORE RAPIDLY. (Closed - Acceptable Action)
Issued: 12-AUG-1998	To: RSPA	A-98-80
REQUIRE, WITHIN 2 YEARS, THAT AIR CARRIERS TRANSPORTING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS HAVE THE MEANS, 24 HOURS PER DAY, TO QUICKLY RETRIEVE & PROVIDE CONSOLIDATED SPECIFIC INFO ABOUT THE IDENTITY (INCLUDING PROPER SHIPPING NAME), HAZARD CLASS, QUANTITY, NUMBER OF PACKAGES, & LOCATION OF ALL HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ON AN AIRPLANE IN A TIMELY MANNER TO EMERGENCY RESPONDERS. (Closed - Unacceptable Action)

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Photos

accident date: 05-09-1996
type: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10CF
registration: N68055

Map

This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Memphis International Airport, TN to Boston-Logan International Airport, MA as the crow flies is 1819 km (1137 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.

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DC-10

446 built
24^th loss

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