FedEx plane catches fire at Memphis airport

A FedEx DC-10 landed on fire at Memphis International Airport shortly after noon. The fire was in the cargo hold. Four people, including several crew members were evacuated.

The plane veered of the runway near Swinnea Road. The blaze has been extinquished, leaving the plane covered with soot and holes. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

The Memphis Fire Department said six fire fighting units were dispatched to the airport.

The DC-10 was on a flight from Oakland, Calif. FedEx said no hazardous materials were on board

Apparent cargo fire in flight. Same type incident happened about 2 years ago, crew also got out safely, aircraft was total loss.

Cargo jets currently don't have fire suppression ability inside the containers carrying the cargo-- with the exception of the dangerous goods container.

My guess is the fire was simmering in the cargo hold inside a container at high altitude, then flamed up in the descent to Memphis as the aircraft pressurized closer to sea level (more oxygen).

FedEx Jet Veers Off Runway, One Injured
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A FedEx cargo jet caught fire and veered off the runway while landing at the Memphis airport Thursday. One minor injury was reported.

No cause had been determined, but a preliminary investigation indicated the plane's right landing gear collapsed before the fire began.

"It would appear that would be the sequence," said Ted Lopatkiewicz of the National Transportation Safety Board (news - web sites), which sent a team to Memphis.

The MD-10, a widebody cargo jet, was arriving on a flight from Oakland, Calif., when the accident happened. The flames were extinguished but the plane was heavily damaged. Several large holes burned in the right side of the fuselage, which was blackened by smoke.

Two crew members and five employees on board exited the aircraft safely through windows, officials said. One suffered minor injuries in the evacuation.

FedEx spokesman Ed Coleman said there was no indication from the crew of an emergency before the landing.

FedEx often transports hazardous materials, but company spokesman Jim McCluskey said officials were still determining what cargo was aboard the aircraft and whether it was damaged.

"There's no evidence whatsoever of a bomb or any terror activity," he added.

The jet "landed and veered off the runway," said Kathleen Bergen of the Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites). Television images showed the plane's right wing on the ground.

The Memphis Fire Department said six firefighting units were dispatched to the airport.

Memphis-based FedEx owns the world's largest cargo airline. Thursday's incident was the fourth involving a FexEd jet in the last seven years.

Fed Ex

I worked in the program office for the MD-10 when still employed at MDC/Boeing. FedEx had essentially bought up all of the available and usable DC-10's on the open market and converted all of them to the MD-10 configuration. The mods literally ripped out all of the wiring; upgraded all components in the cockpit to an MD-11 equivalent one; changed the crew requirements from P/CoP/FE to just P/CoP; and the engines were all overhauled. Also, the large cargo door was added in the fuselage.

FedEx had a rule about high flight hours on the birds they picked up but many of them, nevertheless, were old calendar wise. The MD-10 project gave FedEx almost brand new airplanes for 1/3 the cost of a new plane.

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