FedEx Plane Catches Fire at Memphis Airport

The Associated Press
Created: July 31, 2006

The incident was the cargo company's second plane emergency in two days.

A FedEx plane caught fire after landing at Memphis International Airport, the cargo company's second airplane emergency in two days.

None of the crew members was hurt in either incident.

Larry Cox, spokesman for the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, said the plane's left landing gear appeared to have collapsed Friday as it was landing.

A spokeswoman for Memphis-based FedEx Corp. confirmed that the FedEx Express MD-10 airplane, which was arriving from Seattle, had an "emergency situation" upon landing and the three people aboard safely evacuated. FedEx Express is one of several independent companies operating under the FedEx umbrella, according to the company Web site.

The plane's left wing and engine were damaged, and initial reports indicate the freight on the board was not damaged, spokeswoman Denise Lauer said.

The National Transportation Safety Board has taken over the investigation, Lauer said. NTSB representatives did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

On Thursday, a FedEx 727 cargo plane went off an airport runway in Louisville, Kentucky, after the pilot aborted takeoff.

FedEx changed its training regimen for flight crews after a 2003 incident when a FedEx jet caught fire after landing at the Memphis airport and the NTSB faulted the pilot and flight captain. A FedEx crew also was blamed by the NTSB for a 2002 accident in Florida.

News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Site Publication" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.