Preliminary Reports: Fedex ATR lands short

Aerospatiale Alenia ATR 42-320, Lubbock, Texas, Jan. 27, 2009–The crew of the FedEx ATR 42 that landed 300 feet short of the runway on an ILS approach to Preston Smith International Airport survived, with the ATP-rated captain suffering serious injuries and the commercial first officer sustaining minor injuries. The airplane landed short of the runway threshold and hit approach lighting before it skidded off the right side of the runway into the grass. It was destroyed by the crash and post-impact fire. Empire Airways was operating the cargo flight for FedEx. The accident happened at 5 a.m., and the NTSB reported a 500-foot overcast, two-mile visibility, a 10-knot wind and light freezing drizzle and mist.