N497FEBoeing 727-2322002-07-26 NTSB Accident Report

Destroyed
Serious

Boeing 727-232S/N: 20866

Summary

On July 26, 2002, a Boeing 727-232 (N497FE) was involved in an accident near Tallahassee, FL. The accident resulted in 3 serious injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The captain's and first officer's failure to establish and maintain a proper glidepath during the night visual approach to landing. Contributing to the accident was a combination of the captain's and first officer's fatigue, the captain's and first officer's failure to adhere to company flight procedures, the captain's and flight engineer's failure to monitor the approach, and the first officer's color vision deficiency.

The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-04/02.

On July 26, 2002, at 0537 eastern daylight time, a FedEx Boeing 727, N497FE, crashed during landing at Tallahassee, Florida. The airplane was operating as Flight 1478 from Memphis, Tennessee, to Tallahassee. The airplane crashed short of the runway, and was subsequently destroyed by fire. All three crewmembers were seriously injured.

This accident is documented in NTSB report DCA02MA054. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N497FE.

Accident Details

Date
Friday, July 26, 2002
NTSB Number
DCA02MA054
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Event ID
20020801X01282
Coordinates
30.389478, -84.509490
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
Highest Injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
3
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
3

Probable Cause and Findings

The captain's and first officer's failure to establish and maintain a proper glidepath during the night visual approach to landing. Contributing to the accident was a combination of the captain's and first officer's fatigue, the captain's and first officer's failure to adhere to company flight procedures, the captain's and flight engineer's failure to monitor the approach, and the first officer's color vision deficiency.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
BOEING
Serial Number
20866
Engine Type
Turbo-jet
Year Built
1974
Model / ICAO
727-232B721
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Multi Engine
No. of Engines
3

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION
Address
ATTN: MICHAEL WILSON
3131 DEMOCRAT RD
Status
Deregistered
City
MEMPHIS
State / Zip Code
TN 38118-1516
Country
United States

Analysis

The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-04/02.

On July 26, 2002, at 0537 eastern daylight time, a FedEx Boeing 727, N497FE, crashed during landing at Tallahassee, Florida. The airplane was operating as Flight 1478 from Memphis, Tennessee, to Tallahassee. The airplane crashed short of the runway, and was subsequently destroyed by fire. All three crewmembers were seriously injured.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DCA02MA054