The New Tokyo International Airport at Narita opened its main runway earlier this morning at 09:10 local (00:10 UTC) following yesterday's accident and crash of a FedEx Boeing MD-11 freighter which claimed both the crew and the aircraft.
The crash has shut down the 4,000 meter (13,123 ft) long main runway 16R/34L. The airport was forced to rely on the secondary Runway 16L/34R which, at 2,180 meters (7,152 ft) is just about half the the length of the main runway.
A spokesman for the airport said the first arrival was a Lufthansa intercontinental passenger flight from Frankurt at 09:24 (00:24 UTC)
The spokesman confirmed that the wreckage of the MD-11F was removed in the wee hours of this morning. He added that 101 flights were cancelled and about 50 were diverted to other Japanese airports since the crash.
Use these links for real-time information from Narita airport on international flight arrivals and international flight departures. Here is a list of all the airlines operating at Narita airport.
In the meantime FedEx released the names of the two crew who perished in the accident.
Captain Kevin Kyle Mosley, 54, of Hillsboro, Oregon, USA, joined FedEx Express on May 1, 1996. He has 12,800 flying hours experience.
First Officer Anthony Stephen Pino, 49, of San Antonio, Texas, USA, joined FedEx Express on July 10, 2006. He has 6,300 flying hours experience.
Our prayers with the bereaved families and prayers for the departed.
Blue Skies and Tail winds!!!!
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First posted - March 23, 01:00 GMT
A FedEx MD-11 freighter registration number N526FE performing flight 80, from Guangzhou, China crashed at Tokyo Narita International Airport in heavy winds, and burst in to flames. The two crew on board were killed. The main runway at the international gateway airport to Tokyo has been shut down.
Image courtesy WikipediaMost airlines have been forced to divert incoming flights to Tokyo Haneda, Osaka, Nagoya and other airports, as the longest runway of two at Narita has been closed.
The FedEx plane landed hard, tipped onto its left wing and burst into a bright orange fireball of flames, the video of the crash from Tokyo Broadcasting System shows. I have upload the video since the TBS website does not allow resizing of the small video window. The copyright remains that of TBS.
This crash is reminiscent of the July 31, 1997 crash of another FedEx MD-11F at Newark. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) faulted the pilots for the crash of FedEx Flight 14, from Anchorage, Alaska to Newark.
Airport officials are unclear how long the main runway would be closed at Narita. International Japanese carriers Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have cancelled 29 and 10 flights respectively.
Having flown frequently to Narita I can attest to the tough time pilots have in the frequently occurring crosswinds. Both runways are aligned in a roughly North South direction (156/336 degree headings on the compass), and the airport often has strong crosswinds in an easterly and westerly direction. Paucity of land prevents the authorities from building a crossing runway at the airport.
METARS (21:48 UTC):
2009/03/22 21:00 RJAA 222100Z 30013G28KT 260V330 9999 FEW020 13/M01 Q0998 NOSIG RMK 1CU020 A2948
2009/03/22 21:00 RJAA 222100Z 30013G28KT 260V330 9999 FEW020 13/M01 Q0998 NOSIG
2009/03/22 21:08 RJAA 222108Z 31025G35KT 9999 FEW020 12/M01 Q0998 RMK 1CU020 A2949
2009/03/22 21:30 RJAA 222130Z 32026G40KT 9999 FEW020 12/M02 Q0999 WS R34L NOSIG
2009/03/22 21:30 RJAA 222130Z 32026G40KT 9999 FEW020 12/M02 Q0999 WS R34L NOSIG RMK 1CU020 A2952 P/RR
2009/03/22 21:30 RJAA 222130Z 32026G40KT 9999 FEW020 12/M02 Q0999 WS R34L NOSIG
Japan's meteorological agency had issued an advisory of gales for the area around the airport.
Update 1 - 04:30 GMT
FedEx has put out a statement
A FedEx Express MD-11 was involved in an incident today en route from Guangzhou to Narita, with two crew members on board. The incident occurred upon landing. We are sad to report that there were no survivors.Update 2 - 06:00 GMT
Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of these crew members. This loss pains all of us at FedEx. Right now our focus is on doing everything we can to assist those involved at this difficult time.
We are thankful for the quick response of emergency teams on the ground and will continue to work closely with the applicable authorities as we seek to determine the cause for this tragic incident.
Widespread flight disruptions are being reported at Narita airport. Read the full article.
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The crash of FedEx MD-11 freighter registration number N526FE performing flight 80, from Guangzhou, China at the New Tokyo International Airport at Narita has caused major disruptions in flight schedules.
The crash has shut down the 4,000 meter (13,123 ft) long main runway 16R/34L.
Map should not be used for navigationThe airport is forced to rely on the secondary Runway 16L/34R which, at 2,180 meters (7,152 ft) is just about half the the length of the main runway.
Narita is the main gateway to Japan's capital Tokyo, and home to all of Tokyo's intercontinental flights, many of which are operated by the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet. Unfortunately Boeing B747 and Airbus A380 operations are not permitted on the secondary runway. Even wide bodies like the Boeing 777, 767, MD-11, Airbus A340 and A330, will not be able to carry a full complement of passengers, baggage and fuel.
Air travel to and from Tokyo is going to be hard today.
Please use these links for real-time information from Narita airport on international flight arrivals and international flight departures.
Do contact your airline and determine what is their situation, what arrangements are being made or alternatives they suggest. Here is a list of all the airlines operating at Narita airport.
See two videos of the crash.
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I have always admired Fred Smith of FedEx.
Yesterday, he addressed a town hall meeting in Los Angeles, on the economy's impact on industry, and offered three very sensible suggestions for governments to consider.
I an excerpting from the speech “Keeping America Competitive: the View from ‘Commerce Street’" by Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President and CEO, FedEx Corporation.
The fact is that in this economic downturn, most people, especially politicians and the press, talk about Wall Street and Main Street, but few talk about what I call “Commerce Street,” the industrial economy in between…and the one with just as many victims as the other two sectors.I strongly recommend your reading the complete presentation, it will be time well worth spent.
Let me shine a spotlight on how important such industries are to our American economy.
The industrial sector includes businesses that are usually rich in assets—big service companies, health care providers, warehousers, manufacturers, agriculture, mining and energy producers. This sector is a major driver of our economy. Industry may not be as sexy as finance, housing or retail, but it’s a critical component of GDP. Industrial job creation and loss parallel exactly the rise and fall of corporate spending in the U.S.
Even so, as more industrial businesses have slowed down or closed, the United States has begun to lose its edge in the global marketplace. How can we fund technological innovation if companies are strapped for cash? How can we fund alternative fuel research if chemists have lost their jobs?
So today I’d like to try to answer the question, “How can we make American companies more competitive in the global marketplace and increase their ability to offer American workers good jobs?
My answer? Three things:In summary, I believe that we can face down today’s challenges with that famous American ingenuity, determination and optimism that have kept us a world leader for so long.
- Accelerate the expensing of capital investment,
- Reduce our dependence on imported petroleum, and
- Champion free trade.
The three topics I’ve discussed today require little in the way of direct government money. By stimulating the industrial sector to invest more in equipment and software; by reducing our dependence on imported oil; and by helping world markets remain open, we can begin to move the U.S. economy in the right direction. The only thing we really need is the political will to make these things happen. If we do, then we can transform “Commerce Street” into a more powerful force in California’s economy, and we can help straighten the crown America has worn for so long as the world’s economic leader.
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AP is reporting a FedEx cargo plane crashed during landing Tuesday at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (KLBB), in my home state of Texas, USA.
Wikipedia Image
Airport director James Loomis says both crew members were taken to a hospital, but FedEx spokeswoman Sandra Munoz says both were able to walk from the crash. A supervisor at University Medical Center in Lubbock said the two crew members were being evaluated.
The ATR42-300F turboprop aircraft, registration N902FX, operating flight EM8284, was arriving from Fort Worth Alliance Airport (KAFW) in a freezing mist, touched down before runway 17R while landing in Lubbock with a visibility of about 2 miles at 04:36 local (10:36Z). Airport officials say the gear collapsed, the airplane veered to the right, the right wing impacted ground and the airplane caught fire, which was quickly extinguished by emergency services. Munoz says the plane had skidded off the runway.
The plane was operated by Idaho-based Empire Airways under contract with Memphis, Tennessee based FedEx Corp.
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