UPS Airlines Flight 6

UPS Airlines Flight 6 was a scheduled international cargo flight operated by UPS. On September 3, 2010, the Boeing 747-400F, en route from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Cologne, Germany, suffered an in-flight fire that caused the aircraft to crash, killing both crew members, the only people on board.^[1][2]

The accident occurred due to smoke infiltrating the cockpit, making it difficult for the crew to see and use the cockpit instruments, in addition to damage to some of the aircraft's systems due to the fire.

As a result of this accident, airlines were advised to review their procedures for handling smoke emergencies in the cockpit and their oxygen supply mechanisms for the crew to prevent asphyxiation and loss of visibility in the cockpit.

After arriving from Hong Kong, UPS Flight 6 took off from Dubai on September 3, 2010, at 18:53, heading to Germany. At 19:15, the crew got a fire warning and reported smoke in the cockpit, about 222 km from Dubai. They declared an emergency, but thick smoke made it hard to use the radio, so they asked nearby planes to relay messages to air traffic control.

Although they were offered a diversion to Doha, the captain chose to return to Dubai. When flying manually, he found the controls were not working properly because the fire had damaged the systems. His oxygen mask failed, and when trying to use the backup, he passed out due to lack of oxygen. First officer Bell took over and was instructed to land on runway 12L in Dubai.

The plane was too high during approach and the landing gear wasn’t extended. It flew over the airport and made a sharp turn. First Officer Bell tried to head toward Sharjah Airport but turned the wrong way. Radar contact was lost at 19:42 UTC.

Soon after, the plane crashed in an uninhabited area near Dubai Silicon Oasis. The right wing hit the ground first, and the burning plane slid briefly before exploding. Bell died instantly, and Lampe, who was unconscious, also died. Local Emirates pilots were among the first to report the crash.^[3]

The aircraft was a Boeing 747-44AF (registration N571UP), built in 2007. It had flown over 10,000 hours and passed a major inspection in June 2010.^[4] It was powered by four General Electric engines and was one of the last 747-400s made before the newer 747-8 model.

The designated crew consisted of Captain Douglas Lampe (48), of Louisville, Kentucky, and First Officer Matthew Bell (38), of Sanford, Florida.^[5]

Lampe had flown for UPS Airlines for 15 years and had over 11,000 flight hours, with 4,000 hours flying the Boeing 747-400. Bell had 4 years and 5,500 hours respectively, with 77 hours on the 747-400. Both crew members were based at the UPS pilot base in Anchorage, United States.^[6]

The crash was featured on season 15 of the Canadian documentary series Mayday in an episode titled "Fatal Delivery".^[7]