By Mary Kirby in Philadelphia
Engine trouble is being studied by US Federal Aviation Administration officials as a possible factor in yesterday's incident involving a FedEx Federal Express Boeing 727 freighter that aborted take-off and veered off the runway at Kentucky’s Louisville airport.
“Preliminary information shows that they [the crew] either lost an engine or had to shut an engine down during takeoff,” says an FAA spokesman.
He notes, however, that the agency does not yet know which engine was affected and is “not sure if that’s what forced them off of the runway”.
The preliminary assessment also shows no damage to the aircraft.
The 727, bearing registration N484FE, was operating as flight 673 to FedEx’s Memphis, Tennessee hub. It veered off of Louisville’s east runway into a grassy area after aborting takeoff. None of the three crewmembers were injured.
According to Flight's fleet database ACAS, the Pratt & Whitney JT8D-powered aircraft is a 727-200F model. It was built in 1978 and is owned by FedEx.
The aircraft has been moved back to the FedEx ramp at Louisville for further inspection, says a spokesman for the cargo operator.
Source: Flight International
