Lufthansa cargo plane crashes at Riyadh airport

[flying_kiwi]

Based on the reports coming out now, it's looking more and more like the aircraft had a cargo fire on approach, ran off the runway during rollout (probably when the nose gear collapsed), and burnt out.
Looking at the various photos circulating, the fuselage appears to have broken just aft of the wing, and with no sign of fire outside the aircraft (which would suggest ruptured fueltanks), and no visible damage other than the collapsed nosegear and fire damage, these all support the cargo fire theory.

Yorden

[76-er]

Correct me if I am wrong but did all these accidents happen during landing?

No. After the abovementioned Swissair near Halifax Korean and Avient both crashed one on takeoff/climbout.

Total count now stands at 8.

Fedex (3x)
Korean
Mandarin
Swissair
Avient
Lufthansa.

[mac]

It is interesting to know what makes the nose landing gear to collapse. It should be able to encounter a hard landing. But if the aircraft was on fire during the approach than the pilots did a pretty good job. The aircraft could not be saved but everybody survived and that's the most important thing.

[patrick@tediek.com]

could a nose gear colapse due to VERY hardbraking, i know there are not breaks on the wheels at the nose gear, but due to the forces from hard braking, could it collapse?

[Melchior Timmers]

With the nosegear in a normal state it will never collapse because of using the mainwheel brakes.
When looking at the pictures, the nose gear probably collapsed when the aircraft went off the runway.

Cheers,

[PH-OUD]

That would be the most logical explanation, yes.

Also, a loss of hydreaulic pressure, caused by the fire, comes to mind.
Or landing with a 20 degree pitch, followed by immediate full brakes would slam the nose gear on to the tarmac. That won't be beneficial...
But that's all just speculation, guesswork, imagination.
I have no facts to substantiate any of these.

[wingview]

According to Der Spiegel, they claim to have inside info. The MD-11' first touch down was i the landing zone, bounced twice. On the second bounce (3 G) fuselage broke and the fire started in flamable goods on pallets in the mid section. Nose gear collapsed after exiting the runway.

There was no fire during approach.