Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10 incident near Tampa, Florida, August 10, 2002
On August 10, 2002 at about 9:40 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10, registered N388FE, suffered minor damage in an incident near Tampa, Florida (Tampa International Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the left main landing gear retract cylinder support frame due to fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2002 · about 9:40 am local time
- Place
- Tampa, Florida · Tampa International Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10 · all DC-10-10s on the register
- Registration
- N388FE · no longer on the register · serial 46622
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The captain lowered the landing gear on base leg and heard a loud bang followed by the airplane shuddering. An emergency was declared and the flight crew conducted the emergency abnormal procedures. A forced landing was made to the destination airport and all main landing gear tires blew out. The flight crew completed an emergency shutdown and evacuated the airplane with out further incident. Examination of the airplane revealed a failure of the left hand main landing gear retract cylinder support frame due to fatigue, the breaking of the hydraulic lines attached to the retract cylinder, dumping of hydraulic fluid overboard, and the deactivation of the antiskid system.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 3,109 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 31, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Flight time: 1,998 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 5, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Flight Engineer
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Flight time: 1,475 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 67,915 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 27, 2002; 115 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 443,000 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: General Electric CF6-6D (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEM Memphis TN at 8:17 am
- Destination: TPA Tampa FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36L, 11,022 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from TPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.