Mcdonnell Douglas MD 11F accident near St. Louis, Missouri, February 24, 2015
On February 24, 2015 at about 12:16 pm local time, a 1992 Mcdonnell Douglas MD 11F, registered N584FE, was involved in an accident during standing near St. Louis, Missouri (Lambert-St Louis International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a partial inflation of the 1L escape slide/raft due to undetermined reasons resulting in insufficient capability to support the weight of the crewmember.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 2015 · about 12:16 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- St. Louis, Missouri · Lambert-St Louis International · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD 11F UNDESIGNAT, built 1992 · all MD 11Fs on the register
- Registration
- N584FE · registry record · serial 48436
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the crew received a fire warning from the cargo compartment indicating that the fire suppression system had activated, along with hearing loud sounds from the cargo compartment. The flight crew elected to divert to St. Louis. Although the activation of the fire suppression was a false alarm, the decision to divert was prudent and correct. During the approach the crew made the decision to evacuate the airplane after landing, briefed the passengers in the courier area, and reviewed the evacuation checklist in the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH). The diversion and subsequent landing were performed without issue. After exiting the runway, and bringing the airplane to a stop in a safe area, the crew initiated an emergency evacuation using the left forward door (1L). The door opened, however, the 1L escape slide/raft did not fully deploy, appearing to be hung up on a strap. The first officer attempted to free it and the fire/rescue crew pulled on the slide and it appeared to inflate. However, because the slide inflation sequence had been interrupted, it was significantly underinflated and unable to support the weight of the crewmember, resulting in a serious injury. Post-incident examination of the 1L slide/raft was unable to determine the causes for the slide/raft to not inflate to full extension.
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
What happened, in order
- Evacuation during standing
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during standing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › Escape slide › Failure other cases naming the cabin, seats and restraints
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › Escape slide › Inadequate inspection other cases naming the cabin, seats and restraints
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,476 hours in all; 2,974 in this make and model; 184 in the last 90 days; 64 in the last 30 days; 6,470 as pilot in command; 1,916 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 3, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Flight time: 9,695 hours in all; 2,642 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 2,509 as pilot in command; 1,305 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 14, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 630,010 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Ge CF6-80 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Ge CF6-80 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 3: Ge CF6-80 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Federal Express CORP
The flight
- Departed from: MEM Memphis TN
- Destination: MSP Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 14°F (-10°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 am from STL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on February 17, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Captain Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | First Officer Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Jumpseat 1 Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Jumpseat 2 Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Operations - QRH Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Operations - Door Trainer | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Operations - Emergency Equipment Training | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Air Cruisers | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Fedex | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Survival Factors - Slide/raft Teardown Report | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Survival Factors - Errata to the Slide/raft Teardown Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N584FE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N584FE on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11 104 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Mcdonnell Douglas 254 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Ge CF6-80 SERIES 238 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Ge CF6-80 SERIES 238 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- St. Louis Lambert International · nearest airport
- Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport · departed from
- Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Missouri 1,640 since 1982 · 219 in the last ten years
- Missouri 5,819 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N584FE 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DCA15FA073.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.