Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F accident near Louisville, Kentucky, June 7, 2005
On June 7, 2005 at about 5:25 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F, registered N250UP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Louisville, Kentucky (Standiford Field). 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flying pilot's improper aircraft handling after main landing gear touchdown, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear assembly. Conributing to the accident was the pilot-in-command's inadequate supervision during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2005 · about 5:25 am local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · Standiford Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F · all MD-11Fs on the register
- Registration
- N250UP · registry record · serial 48795
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F was being flown by a captain seated in the left seat (PF), who was receiving initial operating experience (IOE). A captain seated in the right seat, was the pilot-in-command (PIC) of the flight. The airplane was landing on an 8,579-foot-long, concrete runway, during night visual meteorological conditions. After main gear touchdown, the nose gear touched down, and subsequently collapsed. The airplane sustained damage to and around the pressure bulkhead, at station 625. Data obtained from the flight data recorder revealed that after main gear touchdown, the control column was moved sharply forward resulting in a change in pitch angle from approximately 5 degrees nose up, to about 1 degree nose down, which was accompanied by a reduction in load factor to approximately 0.3 g's. The vertical load factor then spiked to approximately 2.5 g's on nose wheel contact, over twice that of a typical landing, with a load factor increment of 0.75 g's, also excessive. Metallurgical examination of the remnants of the nose landing gear assembly were consistent with overstress, and no evidence of any preexisting fractures were observed.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 425 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 39 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 28,231 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 1, 2004; 313 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 633,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: General Electric CF-6 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage AK at 11:16 pm
- Destination: SDF Louisville KY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17L, 8,579 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 am from SDF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 NYC05FA094.