FedEx Express Flight 1888

FedEx Express flight 1888 was a crew dead-heading flight from Tokyo's Narita International Airport to Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport which experienced a hydraulic failure and crash-landed hard, resulting in what investigators report as a mixture between FedEx Air Cargo Flight 4183 and United flight 232. There was 5 recorded survivors initially, but one passenger passed away due to complications after entering a coma with a mixture of an aneurysm and further health and injury complications.[1]

## Accident

### Summary

Plane crash-landed due to hydraulic failures and complications during landing

### Place

Ted Stevens International Airport, Anchorage

## Flight

### Flight Origin

Tokyo Narita International Airport, Chiba, Japan

### Flight Destination

Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport, Anchorage, United States

# Crew and Departure

At Tokyo International Airport, initial flight tracking information were not loaded but the occupants boarded the aircraft consisting of crew members Captain Robert Jerner, 51 and First Officer Jim Merida , 41. The aircraft carried dead heading crew members which consisted of: Lola Reinae, 38, Micheal Suso, 45 and Steve Lee, also 45. The plane was recorded to have departed Tokyo at around 00:10 (12:10 AM) JST and departure was uneventful. At around 1:13 JST, the First Officer was recorded to head out to the bathroom and interact with the dead heading crew. After returning, the Captain then went to the bathroom.

# Accident, Crash

At around 12:23 Alaska Standard Time, the hydraulic failure warnings started showing. The hydraulic fluids for the plane's pitch had leaked. The pilots had temporarily disconnected autopilot at around 12:25, 2 minutes after the initial warning to test out flight controls. They found out that they lost all pitch control. They informed air traffic control of the failure and asked for a emergency landing at Anchorage. ATC then informed them of "All runways available". At around 12:30, the pilots started descending using idle thrust. At around 12:56, the pilots used their remaining tilt and roll control to make a loop for further altitude loss. At 13:00, the pilots got ready for the arrival in about 16 minutes. The plane was dangerously slow, so they decided to extend the spoilers and flaps, which they found to be another hydraulic controlled component they lost. Instead, the co-pilot suggested gear drag to help. The pilots extended the gear successfully and used it to slow down. At 13:15, the plane was on short final, and was severely fast, coming in for Anchorage International's Runway 7R. The plane had to slow down, and the nose started pitching down. At 13:16, right before the gears touched down, the captain jerked to the right on the yoke accidentally while trying to control the thrust controls, causing the right main gears and nose gears to slam into the ground and collapse. Plane spotters and witnesses informed that they saw the plane jerk down and to the right, disconnecting the cockpit around the L1 and R1 doors which followed with a fire after the right main gear finally detached as the plane drifted to the right, damaging the engine which then detached into the wing and caused a fire. The cockpit continued its roll and stoped near a perimeter fence as the wings continued to burn and the tail section, starting from just aft of the wing ripped off and rolled right next to the burning wings, causing it to catch on fire also. Fire services immediately came and took around 3 hours to complete extinguishing the fire. The cockpit, which was upright, was evacuated, many with broken bones and injuries. A dead heading crew member, Lola Reinae, reported that Micheal Suso did not move much, but was breathing, resulting in the pilots, who were the least injured, to help unstrap him and take him out. Ambulances came with short delay due to a spread of debris and burned cargo elements. At around 13:20, the occupants were finishing their evacuation and some batteries at the rear of the plane, which was starting to burn, exploded, damaging some close fire trucks. First Officer Jim Merida reported to first responders as "I don't think he [referring to Micheal Suso] will survive." Micheal Suso was put into the ICU along with Steve Lee. Micheal passed away due to complications with his injuries which caused an aneurysm. Steve Lee recovered and went onto an interview of remaining crew members for a press conference.

# Initial Investigation and Assumption

Immediately after the crash, the witnesses (other than the Air Traffic Control) immediately informed unknowing press that the plane was having a fire on the engine, which caused them to push down, the fire sight was explained by the witnesses probably remembering only seeing the engine catch on fire as it dragged on the ground following the right main gear's collapse. After some more heavy investigation, the NTSB reported "The plane was affected by a failure of the hydraulic lines controlling pitch of the plane. The crash landing was caused by the involuntary movement of the captain when moving the thrust levers." At the press briefing Captain Robert Jenner apologized profusely for his actions and to the Sugo family for their loss. Captain Robert Jenner resigned as an apology. First Officer Jim Merida remains working for FedEx with reasoning from the company as "His lack of mistakes and following of protocol in the accident of the flight (FX1888)".

# CVR recordings

The CVR recordings show recordings of the 5 minutes before arrival and the accident itself.

### Italics = Description of noises heard

13:09:30 | C: Gotta, uh, lower the speed here a bit

13:09:39 | F/O : Yep, doing so now

*13:09:51* | *Slight clanking and sliding noise heard, identified as throttle*

13:10:15 | T: FedEx 1888 Heavy, all runways clear, any further orders, please inform

13:10:27 | C: Tower, FedEx 1888 Heavy, roger, coming in slightly fast for 7R, We might need emergency services

13:15:10 | F/O: S\*\*\*, pull up! Pull Up the nose!

13:15:47 | C: Come on! This plane has to pull up! Get the speed in, this plane is acting like a motherf\*\*\*\*\*

13:15:57| *Throttle is heard shaking or clanking*

13:16:07 | F/O: Oh S\*\*\*, oh s\*\*\*\*!

13:16:09 | *Screeching sounds, screaming*

13:16:20 | *Combusting noises, screeching*

13:16:26 | *Possible rolling sounds*

13:16:31 | < End of Transcript >

# Extra Information / Remarks

Upon and after the crash, here is a time line of what happened.

* November 18, 2012: Plane crashes
* November 19, 2012: Micheal Sugo dies
* November 20, 2012: Occupants recover
* November 21, 2012: NTSB starts investigation and wreak recovery
* November 22, 2012: Captain and First Officer go for first press briefing
* November 27, 2012: All remaining survivors go for a press briefing
* April 19, 2013: NTSB releases findings
* April 20, 2013: In response to findings, Captain apologizes
* November 18, 2013, 1 year anniversary of crash