FedEx MD-11 Issues Mayday Call Over Sydney

Pilots onboard a FedEx McDonnell Douglas MD-11F struck trouble in the skies over Sydney recently, issuing a Mayday call and aborting the final approach. It was on March 12th that FedEx flight FX9075 was in the final stages of a seven-hour plus flight from Singapore, descending over Botany Bay when a quote-unquote "flight control malfunction" occurred.
Article link: simpleflying.c...

[@dylanhutson374]

I work for Fedex Express. Our MD-11Fs are workhorses. They have some issues but are a great aircraft.

[@norrisd.4711]

That's a lot of speed to land with, scary. But that's why pilots train to handle these situations without panic. Glad they safely landed.

[@tscotom]

A 'typical' Flapless landing that was. With the necessary length in most airports, not too big a deal as I understand it.

[@mr.airbus373]

MD-11 is a great aircraft, and It's not deserves to be retired. Good news that this aircraft will fly until 2035, that's a very good moment to fly to the US and spot some of them. That's one of my most important dreams 😍

[@nurrizadjatmiko21]

That was a..quite unexpected emergency. As of 2022, 118 MD-11s are still in service as freighters until now.

[@longbeach7623]

Approximately 60% of the overall production. Not bad for the much maligned MD-11.

[@turbofanlover]

Such a beautiful bird. Arguably the best looking aircraft ever made. It is, IMO.

[@Star_Gazing_Coffee_Lover]

I totally agree. the DC 10 and MD 11 are my favorite after the 707. Hope to see them for a long time..

[@established_on_the_run]

My favorite (along with the DC-10) since I was a kid. They were the biggest planes to fly over my house so I fell in love. Their sound on takeoff is something I’ll always recognize!

[@cancelanime1507]

Second to the 757

[@RobertMCotter]

Me too.

[@longbeach7623]

It is indeed quite stunning in appearance. A head turner for non AV geeks even.

[@ianschiller9612]

One hiccup does not mean retirement

[@ukar69]

It may be an oldish aircraft but there's still plenty of life in the MD-11s. I have them come over daily into Stansted.

[@aviationgaming1564]

The MD-11 is a great aircraft and it would be awesome to see them continue to fly for another 10 years

[@ArmyofSeaturtles]

fedex and ups planning to keep them until 2035

[@TheFrogfather1]

I got one from Singapore back in the early 90s. The takeoff was so smooth I didn't realise it had happened!

[@aviationgaming1564]

@@ArmyofSeaturtles nice

[@SynysterGoose]

No. No.

[@aviationgaming1564]

@@SynysterGoose that’s just your opinion I personally see it as the greatest freighter to ever fly

[@Wheninflight]

I have probably caught N573FE before at my home airport of MEM. The MD-11 Is still going strong with FedEx, UPS, and Western Global. FDX has retired a few with 57 active airframes currently and no plans to retire the fleet as a whole.

[@thomasburke7995]

Worked the DC/MD at KIAD for 25 years .. but it's time these airframes they are gas hogs.. the shortsightedness for the crop elites in the pink palace have no clue what do .. just like the 727 .. the FAA is going to mandated retirement

[@RaysDad]

The MD-11 had some early issues that were resolved, and since then it has been tough as nails. I worked on a wiring installation issue when I was at McDonnell Douglas and the problem was in implementation of installation procedures, not the design. Pilots I've talked to prefer the older-style MD-11 cockpit to the current Boeing and Airbus video game-style consoles. The MD-11 still had customers when Boeing "merged" with McDonnell Douglas and shut down the assembly line. It's a solid plane. My suggestion to fly the MD-11 as a workhorse freighter until maintenance cost becomes an issue.

[@keddiewye6517]

Keep the MD-11s flying. I was a passenger on an America West 737-300 about 30+ years ago departing PHX for Los Angeles. After takeoff the crew could not get the flaps to retract. ATC turned us south then east until the crew were doing their checklist. They left the flaps in the takeoff position and when ready came in for a very fast but safe landing back at PHX. It can happen to any plane.

[@williamsterling7735]

All comes down to proper maintenance, kudos to the pilots

[@luiggiparise8301]

The md-11 is still good to go since it was from varig witch had one of the best maintainance plans from it's time and since Fedex keep them fit by regular inspections. Remember, there's no such thing as an old plane, but a well maintainanced plane or not!

[@johniii8147]

Yes there is such a thing as old plane. They are reach end of useful/economic life.

[@luiggiparise8301]

@@johniii8147 About the usefull I can't agree, but with the economical part sure thing, old planes usually drink up a lot of av gas!

[@johniii8147]

@@luiggiparise8301 It's just not the gas, it's all the maintenance. Planes that are too expensive to operate in but fuel and maintenance/reliability are not useful anymore.

[@luisputzeys642]

There’s still DC3s working.

[@johniii8147]

@@luisputzeys642 To a very limited degree with very low usage. No major player operates them and haven't for years. It's low frequency charters, third world and still some military applications.

[@ziauddinkhan5699]

Was Tom Hanks in the plane?

[@MSRTA_Productions]

Uh oh! Kudos to pilots & ATC! Hope to hear a audio recording soon.

[@arliesam948]

Me too

[@Playtheflightsim]

i like the MD-11 i hope its gona fly for many years to come

[@strelnikoff7]

Give crews Willson balls, ice skates, and keep MD11 flying.

[@bajamedic]

I am sure they have a lot of life left but more importantly they are just great looking birds!

[@marcox2937]

I often got to see FedEx MD-11Fs at work at night in Singapore

[@chaoszombie9995]

The MD-11 is sort of like Delta and United's 717(Delta only) - 757- 767 fleet they are still good aircraft, so there is really no need to replace them.. and in the long run it saves the respective airline money on purchasing new aircrafts, having them painted in airline livery.. and so on..

[@arturoeugster2377]

No . Boeing 717 is a renamed DC 9. (MD 80) Two rear mounted engines, T tail but no engine on the vertical stabilizer To remain competitive for passenger transport, the older engines consume too much fuel. Not a overriding factor in low frequency freight operations on much shorter routes, as compared to long cruise high altitude operation, where the fuel load fraction is high.

[@arturoeugster2377]

@@kdenaviation Thank you

[@TimTVOfficial]

I like seeing the MD11s fly over too much to want them to retire... keep 'em going!

[@jamex7704]

As an aviation channel could you please bother to name speeds in knots? Would be really helpful

[@azmike1956]

MD-11's are in & out of PHX every day.

[@eamonahern7495]

Isn't it interesting how the problem occurred after maintenance at Singapore?

[@09shadowjet]

There's a popular saying in Aviation: "Sometimes the most dangerous flight is the flight after a major maintenance." Cuz yeah during a major maintenance there are a lot of different variables that could lead to a failure.

[@Darknamja]

That's why we did ground checks and functional flight checks after every phase inspection prior to the aircraft being put back into the operational rotation. 😉

[@sparkie951]

Flap Asymmetry most of the time is caused by a maintenance event and it appears they just came out of a Heavy Maint Facility. The crew preforemed as they should have and did a great job and very professional about it... I hope Fedex has a good long conversation with that facility!

[@ivanviera4773]

Wow 227 mph landing speed its super high i think its final approach landing speed its about 165 mph.

[@campari4467]

I have dealt with alot of split flaps but it wasn't on a MD 11. The MD11 are good for another 25 years good thanks 😊

[@alanburge2725]

As we are all quite likely aware the DC10 unfortunately got a bad reputation. However they seem like a great plane and there seems to be no over riding issue so why retire them just yet ? I actually quite like this plane. I believe it proves once they worked on the old DC10 that it was a fine design. The door locking assembly etcetera was the big part of the problem for the old original air craft design right ? This is a modern remake of an old DC10. I believe they were in a rush competing with Lockheed I guess who had the Tristar coming out around the same time in the early 1970s period.

[@theharper1]

Fun fact - the main runway in Sydney was an emergency abort site for the first shuttle flight. Amberley in Queensland was an abort site for at least some shuttle flights.

[@Ztbmrc1]

Having flap problems is not only to older airplanes. If you follow various atc channels here on youtube, you see that it happens ones in a while. And in this case we do not know if the flaps actually malfunctioned or that it was a false indication. So probably they choose not to use the flaps to avoid having flaps extent only at one side resulting in an unrecoverable roll, with a crash following. This happened to the ElAl 747 back in 1992 at Amsterdam Schiphol airport. The pilots probably never knew 2 engines on the left side had fallen of. In the process the engines teared the hydraulic lines controlling the flaps. So shortly later when they extended the flaps for landing only the flaps on the right wing extended, making the plane roll to the left up to 90 degr bank and crashing into one of the high apartment buildings in that Amsterdam area. The two pilots and over 50 people on the ground perished.

The 747 crash in Amsterdam was not because of the flaps, they lost an engine (then a 2nd engine) in which one tore off the flaps on that side, they were going much too slow to lose 2 engines and flaps on one side. Last I heard it was several hundred killed but perhaps they don't count the illegals that were living in the complex

[@frenchpaddy2111]

also, were they not carrying some sort of chemical weapons for the Israeli military? They stopped sending military equipment on commcercial aircraft after that I think...

[@Ztbmrc1]

@ Wel I have seen the Aircrash investigation episode on this crash and there are several video's on youtube, I think Mentour Pilot did one on this. Anyway, yes, as I told the first problem was the lost of the two engines on one side. Whether only the hydraulics or the flaps themselves were torn off on that side I am not sure. But it made that only on the other side the flaps extended resulting in the roll and bank to 90 degrees. If they had known the flaps would not work they could have tried to land with no flaps, thus higher landing speed. And they might have made it. We will never know. And indeed the were a lot of unregistered inhabitants in the Bijlmer, so the exact number of fatalities will remain unknown.

[@Ztbmrc1]

@@frenchpaddy2111 Well that was never cleared. Eye witnesses on the crash scene told to have seen men in white suits. This would indicate that there were hazmatz on board. But that was never officially confirmed.

[@alooga555]

Is the maintenance company in Singapore to blame for the incident?

[@midknight1978]

Waiting for VAS to upload the atc coms

[@jstriggsr]

lucky enough to get to assist in unloading one of these beauties every morning.. as long as they are maintained... they should fly forever !!!

[@roykliffen9674]

Unfortunately the loads on the air frame will weaken the metal over time. Panels and other components will start to show cracks which usually can be found with regular inspections and be replaced. But at a certain point to keep on replacing more-and-more components will become exceedingly expensive. If the maintenance bill becomes higher than the profits that are generated the company has no other choice than to retire the jets. Good maintenance may postpone that moment but it will eventually arrive.

[@established_on_the_run]

Nice-Would LOVE to be up close to one of those!!

[@dontrufit7889]

Good to fly for many years, the problem can happen to all aircraft young or old, a huge problem is mainly lack of maintenance

[@christopherbland5774]

And it had just come out of Maintenance ???????? You get what you pay For

[@encinobalboa]

Wow, 2.4 mile runway is a blessing.

[@weikcpa]

No reason to retire them .... that’s an uneducated comment

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

Change of tires tyres after that speed

[@youtubespanishfishingchann6575]

Still can be flying with no problem

[@LaczPro]

Those are still good to fly (please :D). However, I don't know why they called it a MAYDAY when it looks something more like a PAN PAN. I'm not a pilot, student, or someone that flies (not even on Microsoft's Flight Sim... Yet), but if you need to go around and do what a checklist says you need to do, and it isn't a catastrophic event like blowing an engine up (like, you're in control and the plane isn't going anywhere you don't want), isn't the PAN PAN the call you use? EDIT: I know this after watching a lot of Air Crash Investigation: The MD-11 is a plane that needs to be landed fast. Without flaps, it will be even faster "than normal". Those guys are incredible.

[@luisputzeys642]

Anytime there is a flight control malfunction. It’s an emergency.

[@arturoeugster2377]

@@luisputzeys642 You call an emergency when other traffic is likely to be impacted, and ATC is helpful in clearing landing on an other runway, not the one "in use", suggesting and assisting rerouting to a different airport etc. Squating the transponder at 7700 and the ident button, will do, while you are busy dealing with the technical issues. Never heard a Pan, pan, pan call on 121.5 AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE A flight control malfunction is not an emergency, if it does not affect controllability. It is up to the PIC to decide that he needs assistance from ATC or simply inform them of deviations from a normally expected flight maneuver.

[@luisputzeys642]

@@arturoeugster2377 let me put it this way, the PIC decides when it’s an emergency and whether to declare it to ATC. There is never any harm in declaring an emergency for a flight control malfunction. Apparently in this case the captain decided it was…so it was. And no one was the worse for it.

[@arturoeugster2377]

@@luisputzeys642 In my clumsy ways I was trying to say that too, It's the PIC'S decision

[@ekaftan]

Back in 1994 or so I was on board an Airbus 320 coming from Los Angeles to Santiago, Chile. That trip was almost like a local transit but. It made stops in Cancun, Mexico City, San Jose Costa Rica, Guayaquil, Quito, Lima and finally Santiago. I had been on the plane since the start only deplaning on San Jose for a 2 hour layover while the crew was changed. Being 1994, I asked if I could go to the cabin to chat with the pilots, and was there from Lima to Santiago. On Final approach to Santiago I was told to strap on the jump seat seat belt and watch the landing from the cockpit. After starting the descent, the pilot flying called for flaps, only to be told that they were not extending. I remember asking 'what now' and getting a 'hold on this is going to be a fast landing' as response. We touched down at over 200knots and took most of the quite long runway in Santiago to stop... brake overheat warnings were printed on a small printer by the radios.... But other than fast, the landing was uneventful.

[@leaol]

Long life for md11

[@bobbrown3471]

You must be from Sydney, because you love talking about it on your channel.

[@lachd2261]

This thing diverted right over my house - made a bloody big noise too! Good to hear it landed safely

[@longbeach7623]

Simple Flying: How can you suggest it’s time to retire the MD-11Fs (the sole trijet) yet praise LH for reactivating A346s for quadjet variety? Let’s be fair and consistent in our advocacy of out of production fleet types, Simple Flying.

[@Q_The_Rabbit]

I was considering the MD-11 when the ETOPS rules changed, and was quite happy with it. Retired on it. Racing high performance drones now.

[@warmstrong5612]

Yes they should be retired. Unfortunately they'll probably be kept flying for a while yet. The fact that MD-11's are so prone to tail strikes on landing/takeoffs resulting in them risking the tail falling off is ridiculous. Also the L-1011 was the far better looking tri-jet, at least the second engine didn't look like an afterthought.

[@johncase2974]

Are you joking ???? This, is what you come up with for content ??? Total joke and waist of anyone’s time.

[@atomotron]

Having malfunctions after maintenance has become a trend lately. Makes you wonder if skipping maintenance would have been better.

[@GH-oi2jf]

Is “Mayday” appropriate for such a minor problem? I would retire all of these aircraft and replace with B777 freighters.

[@timothycook2917]

Mayday! Mayday! It's awfully soggy down there, I don't want to land! Over...

[@BrianMonette]

It was a no flap landing. Hope I saved you some time.

[@GNX157]

Just keep those stabilizer Jackscrews lubricated often and with the right grease.

[@antonyaberson6296]

Any aircraft is like a car. They get old with mechical malfunction s too. Just wantch.

[@HugoBrown]

oh haha I was epecting to see some footage of flames n smoke, I live near the airport too usually its picked up by news hadnt heard about this, anyway great the plane landed safeky

[@nicolafachin9802]

they still good to fly but should have a fare full inspection with mechanical and body to clear them for safety for public residential lv seen them fly with toll in adelaide l thin with a go inspection they should be safe to fly mechanic and body.

[@richardwilcock2942]

I wonder what the service in Singapore did?

[@barbaradavis393]

You did a nice job of showing the flaps as you discussed possible issues.

[@elosogonzalez8739]

With proper maintenance, they should last decades longer.

[@REPOMAN24722]

Just have a parachute module on the md-11.

[@MaverickSeventySeven]

Why are runways not built long enough for an aborted take off After V2?

[@Chromegrillz]

Time to retire those old planes or will cause a crash.

[@skwb1973]

When even Garuda stops using the plane, nobody should.

[@matthewmanullang5034]

damn i still remember the time when my family and i going to jakarta we are using that md 11 man good times still love that tri jet

[@TheOriginalItchyman]

MD-11 with winglets. Fun!

[@davidreece4631]

Another waste of time video, hardly news worthy!

[@jasongreenwood8030]

keep them up maintenance wise and fly till they cannot fly

[@fizzball13]

Keep them flying they are the best aircraft for the job

[@tonyhernandez3227]

Yes it’s time for FedEx to retire the remaining MD-11’s and should be replaced with the Boeing 777’s freighter. It’s better to retire the MD-11 before an accident happens. Better now than too late and sorry

[@longbeach7623]

Given the scale of the full replacement, that would be a poor decision from a capital expenditure standpoint and for shareholder equity.

[@longbeach7623]

This sounds like shoddy maintenance.

[@skylineXpert]

I remember an incident at Narita. Fedex flight 80. It could have went south like snap. But due to market situation and freight being a good earner. Then retirement is not anytime soon

[@kevingreen3781]

WILSON I’m sorry ,,,WILSON I’m sorry boo hoo hoo

[@aplaceholderbplaceholder9524]

It's good for another half a century.

[@sylviaelse5086]

I doubt the flap issue related to the aircraft age. It was more likely just a technical malfunction of the kind that can happen to an aircraft at any age.

[@Boxcarphilly]

You say the aircraft involved was N576FE, this aircraft seems to fly exclusively between Anchorage and Oakland, according to Flightradar24.

[@hugochan2821]

just a normal approach. There is video online showing mayday passenger plane land with no flaps but it is still Ok. MD-11 has notoriously high normal landing speed, so without flaps, it do concern me, but it still land safely.

[@peoplesambassadordm8279]

Well maintenance not just any maintenance.. premium maintenance.. premium parts upgrades and premium servicing with remanufacturing of outdated parts would be necessary to bring the planes up to standard... possible new engines where applicable , using the US B52's as example, which are flying for over 50 yrs..

[@earlystrings1]

The video shows a different plane, no? With proper inspection and maintenance schedules, there is no reason why those fine old planes are not perfectly airworthy. If they weren’t, we’d have seen major ADs long ago.

[@MrVeryCranky]

Diligent maintenance is the key.

[@mmorales508]

Still a better aircraft than the 737

[@coldpizzasoda8641]

29 years is a long life for a former airliner. Typical service life is around 25 years when they are sent to the boneyard.

[@gsprasanna6382]

With the Pandemic on machines have become rusty so with regular use I think these Aircraft are good for some more time.

[@seegurke93]

Talking about planes and then giving speed in mph and kmh. sry but what is that??? I only know Knots when I fly my A320 (current) or B737 in the past. Please dont break it down tooo much so that every person understands it. I am a pilot, my plane flies in knots indicated airspeed. It always has done that.

[@TomTom-cm2oq]

Retire old planes!!

[@jacobrocks7]

Glad the pilot landed

[@Bloblobloblown]

Man MD11 lands so fast with full flaps, without it it may landed above 200 knots rsrsrsrs

[@revanthpuranam8403]

this is a close call. landing without flaps is quite dangerous

[@luisputzeys642]

As long as you have a long enough runway, it’s not dangerous.

[@abelkebede4623]

Keep calm and fly

[@seanrollett6273]

I think the MD-11F will be around for a few years yet. As far as I know, the passenger variant isn't around anymore, or I could be wrong about the passenger variant of the MD-11.

[@LukewarmFoxxo]

The passenger variant has been long defunct, which is rather unfortunate, but this is how things advance.

[@TyphoonSkip]

SIDNEY?!?!?!?!?

[@renalove2537]

Still good

[@csjames69]

No

[@philipmitchell4504]

FedEx is retiring MD-11s as they continue to add more B777Fs to the fleet.

[@johniii8147]

Not exactly. They still have 57 MD-11s in the fleet and only 8 remaining 777Fs on order.

[@luisputzeys642]

They are retiring the last dozen MD10s but there isn’t a timeline yet of when the 11s will be retired.

[@established_on_the_run]

@@luisputzeys642 Those MD-10’s are solid AF. Some are nearing 40 years old and still going strong.

[@johniii8147]

@@established_on_the_run They have become too costly to operate given maintenance and fuel and they are being phased out as quickly as possible with the 767. They have outlived their economically useful life.

[@established_on_the_run]

@@johniii8147 Understandable. I’ll just miss seeing them in the skies.

[@gerharddekker5999]

..

[@ktabit7134]

The main problem is flaps

[@tscotom]

It used to be/still is a great aircraft, except for all the sorry mishaps with the cargo door busting open. That didn't help at all.

[@roykliffen9674]

That was the predecessor DC-10 which had those issues solved and went on to become quite a reliable aircraft. Although very similar the MD-11 is very much a different aircraft.

[@gregjohnson720]

Aren’t flaps installed on both the leading and trailing edges on some aircraft (like the MD-11?).

[@travelguy78]

Slats and flaps

[@luisputzeys642]

Some aircraft like the 727 have flaps on both. Most now have slats on the leading edge.

[@keith_5584]

0:21 Curious about that little jiggle at the almost touchdown on that approach. Is that someone done on purpose to get through the ground effect barrier more smoothly? (IE air compression from the flaps, lead-ins, and the weight of gravity pushing down on heavier sections of the airframe) …or was it just a shimmy and slight correction?

[@Browhoisyou]

Wind, its wind

[@theharper1]

I don't think the aircraft in the video is the actual aircraft in the incident? None of the video looks like Sydney. They are just random clips of FedEx MD11 aircraft.

[@potanginamo1213]

Hope there good

[@sergioortiz8219]

Why would a pilot need to specify "we're going to require the full length of the runway"? Isn't that always available to them by default?

[@kiwislop2077]

Could be so the emergency services aren’t 2km away when the plane comes to a stop? Just guessing.

[@hart-of-gold]

For Sydney, most of the taxiways are near the far end of the runway as they landed, so it is to tell anyone on the ground they will likely be moving much faster than normal in that area also the ground control might move a plane waiting near the far end to improve access.

[@EdOeuna]

In Sydney there are preferred exits from the runway and the request to inform ATC that you must inform them if you cannot make the exit. This applies for all aircraft. Obviously the aircraft has a flight control problem and will be landing fast, so it will pass the required exit and take up more time on the runway.