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Touchdown in Flames | FedEx B763 Emergency Landing at LAX (2020)

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FedEx 767 Lands With Left Main Gear Stuck

FedEx Flight 1026 was approaching Los Angeles International Airport on August 19, 2020, when the crew discovered that the left main landing gear had not extended. The Boeing 767-300F, registered N146FE, was operating a cargo flight from Newark to Los Angeles.

The aircraft was cleared for an instrument landing system approach to Runway 24R. At about 1,800 feet, the crew selected the landing gear down and received a gear-disagree indication. They discontinued the approach and climbed to troubleshoot the problem.

The crew then followed the applicable abnormal procedure and used the alternate landing-gear extension system. The left main gear still did not extend.

With the landing gear configuration unresolved, the crew worked with ATC to inspect the aircraft from the ground. The aircraft conducted low approaches so controllers and emergency personnel could try to determine the position of the gear.

A second low pass was conducted at about 200 to 300 feet. The aircraft then held briefly over the ocean before being cleared for an emergency landing on Runway 25R.

The landing took place at about 11:47 UTC, or 3:47 a.m. local time. Sparks were observed after touchdown. The sparks were associated with the exposed gear area or the No. 1 engine area, but there was no post-landing fire.

The aircraft sustained substantial damage. One pilot was seriously injured while exiting the aircraft using the cockpit emergency escape rope. The captain was not injured.

The investigation later established a specific mechanical reason for the landing-gear failure. The NTSB found that the left main landing gear failed to extend because brake-rod retaining hardware separated from the aft inboard wheel, for reasons that could not be determined from the available evidence.

That finding is important because the emergency was not simply a generic gear failure. The aircraft's normal extension system indicated a problem, the alternate system did not resolve it, and the physical examination later identified a hardware separation that prevented extension.

The low-pass sequence also illustrates the value of coordination between flight crew and ground personnel. The crew needed information about what the landing gear actually looked like; controllers and airport personnel could provide only the observations available from outside the aircraft.

The emergency landing itself was successful in preventing a larger accident. The aircraft remained on the runway after touchdown, and the emergency services were already positioned to respond.

Accident Facts

Date
August 19, 2020
Aircraft
Boeing 767-300F
Registration
N146FE
Event
FedEx 767 Lands With Left Main Gear Stuck
Category
Incident / Emergency
Timeline
August 19, 2020 —
FedEx Flight 1026 departed Newark for Los Angeles.
1.
Approach —
The crew was cleared for the ILS to Runway 24R.
2.
About 1,800 feet —
The landing gear was selected down and a gear-disagree indication appeared.
3.
Troubleshooting —
The crew discontinued the approach and climbed.
4.
Alternate extension —
The left main gear still failed to extend.
5.
Low approach —
The aircraft flew over Runway 24L for visual inspection.
6.
Second low pass —
Ground personnel again attempted to assess the gear.
7.
Holding —
The aircraft held over the ocean.
8.
Emergency landing —
The aircraft landed on Runway 25R.
9.
After touchdown —
Sparks were observed, but no fire developed.
10.
Evacuation —
The first officer was seriously injured while using the emergency escape rope.
11.
The final investigation therefore connected the visible landing-gear problem to a specific hardware separation while leaving the ultimate reason for that separation undetermined.
12.
The low-pass strategy also shows how the crew and controllers tried to gather information before committing to a landing configuration. A landing-gear problem is difficult to assess from inside the cockpit when the indication only says that the gear is not in the expected position. An outside observer may be able to determine whether a gear leg is physically extended.
13.
The second low pass was therefore not simply delay. It was an attempt to reduce uncertainty before the emergency landing. When that uncertainty remained, the crew proceeded with the emergency landing while ARFF stood by.
14.
The NTSB's later hardware finding gives the event a technical conclusion that the ATC audio alone could not provide.
15.

Sources

Audio from the original air traffic control recording, sourced from public recordings and released investigation records. The reconstruction, animation and written account are our own.
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