The FedEx MD-10 that caught fire and spewed fuel and metal after a gear collapse on the runway last month didn’t appear to have any issues in the initial landing, the National Transportation Safety Board reported this week. The jet landed on Runway 10L at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Oct. 28 and rolled for about 12 seconds before the left main gear collapsed, according to information from the flight data recorder. This caused the left-side engine and wingtip to scrape the runway, “rupturing fuel lines and the left wing fuel tank,” the NTSB’s report said. The two pilots escaped unharmed via the cockpit window and the fire was quickly contained.
During the collapse, the aircraft continued its rollout as fuel from the left wing ignited and pieces of debris flew out, as seen in witness photos. Investigators are still examining the gear assembly and found that damage to the runway occurred about 3,750 feet from the threshold, while the jet stopped nearly 3,000 feet later. Both pilots reported there were no issues with the landing gear throughout the flight and touchdown.
