Airbus A300 F4-622R accident near Louisville, Kentucky, October 29, 2024
On October 29, 2024 at about 3:55 pm local time, a 2005 Airbus A300 F4-622R, registered N162UP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Louisville, Kentucky (Louisville Muhammad Ali Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s incorrect pitch attitude during a bounced landing which resulted in a tailstrike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 2024 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · Louisville Muhammad Ali Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus A300 F4-622R, built 2005 · all A300 F4-622Rs on the register
- Registration
- N162UP · registry record · serial 0851
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 29, 2024, about 1155 eastern daylight time, United Parcel Service (UPS) Company flight 2909 sustained a tailstrike while landing at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), Louisville, KY. According to the flight crew, the captain was the pilot flying, and the first officer (FO) was the pilot monitoring (PM) when they were cleared for the instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 17R at SDF. The airplane was in the landing configuration and on a stabilized approach at 1,000 ft. and 500 ft. above ground level (AGL) respectively per company procedure. After the 500 ft stable callout by the PM, the auto pilot was disengaged and the approach continued with a normal descent rate and the autothrottles engaged. At about 20 ft AGL, power was reduced, and the flare was initiated. The touchdown felt normal, and the PM vocalized the spoiler deployment. Subsequently, the thrust reversers were deployed. The airplane bounced; however, due to the deployment of the thrust reversers a go-around was prohibited. The airplane settled back on the runway and was slowed for taxi. During the taxi, air traffic control advised the flight crew of a possible tailstrike. After the tailstrike, the remainder of the landing rollout and taxi were uneventful. A review of flight data recorder data showed that after the initial touchdown due to excessive energy, the airplane bounced followed by a firm landing. As the airplane’s shock absorber rebounded from the firm landing a nose-up control column was applied and the pitch angle began to increase. Simultaneously, the ground spoilers and thrust reversers continued to deploy, which exacerbated the nose-high attitude and resulted in a pitch angle of about 12 degrees. According to Airbus, after touchdown the flight crew should fly the nosewheel smoothly, but without delay on to the runway, and must be ready to counteract any pitch up effect of the ground spoilers and reverse thrust. The tailstrike resulted in abrasion damage along the aft lower fuselage. An inspection revealed substantial damage to the frames.
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
- Tailstrike during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,440 hours in all; 618 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 3,992 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 22, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,506 hours in all; 491 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 1,739 as pilot in command; 1,149 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 21, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 24,598 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 27, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 375,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P & W PW4158 (turbofan); 22,350 hours total
- Engine 2: P & W PW4158 (turbofan); 21,414 hours total
- Operator: United Parcel Service Co
The flight
- Departed from: ONT Ontario CA at 12:03 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17R/, 11,887 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 30,000 ft; clear at 30,000 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.24 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 am from KSDF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 3 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DCA25LA015.