American Airlines Flight 331

American Airlines Flight 331
American Airlines Flight 331

An American Airlines 737, similar to the aircraft involved in this accident
Runway Overrun summary
Date 22 December 2009
Type Runway Overrun
Site Kingston, Jamaica
17°55′51″N 76°46′30″W / 17.93083°N 76.775°W / 17.93083; -76.775Coordinates: 17°55′51″N 76°46′30″W / 17.93083°N 76.775°W / 17.93083; -76.775
Passengers 148
Crew 6
Injuries 15
Fatalities 0
Survivors 154 (all)
Aircraft type Boeing 737-800
Operator American Airlines
Tail number N977AN
Flight origin Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Stopover Miami International Airport
Destination Norman Manley International Airport

American Airlines Flight 331 was a scheduled international flight from Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington DC to Kingston, Jamaica, via Miami, carrying 148 passengers and six crew,[1] which overran the runway during a landing hampered by poor weather. The plane continued on the ground outside the airport perimeter and broke apart causing injuries.

Factors contributing to the crash include the speed of the aircraft upon landing and the plane landing half-way down the airport runway. It is known that a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 successfully landed at the airport under very similar conditions just before Flight 331.

Contents

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-823, registration N977AN.[2] The aircraft was msn 29550 and made its first flight on 30 November 2001.[3] The aircraft made its first flights under registration N1786B and was delivered to American Airlines on 20 December 2001.[4]

Accident

Hull of American Airlines 331

The flight originated at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington, D.C., with a stopover at Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida.[5] At 22:22 local time (03:22, 23 December UTC), the Boeing 737-823 skidded during landing on runway 12 and overran the pavement, sustaining serious damage.[2] Heavy rain was reported at the time.[6][7] After the accident, a special weather report was issued.[8]

Some passengers indicated cabin service was suspended several times during the flight, before being cancelled outright due to turbulence; others report the jet may have landed long on the runway.[9]

It was also announced that some of the airport's approach lights were not working at the time of the accident.[10] Jamaican officials downplayed the role of the malfunctioning lights in the crash, noting that aircrews had been notified and that the actual runway was properly lit.[11] The ground-based navigation aids were evaluated by a check aircraft after the accident and were determined to be functioning normally.[12]

The aircraft sustained substantial damage during the accident, with the entire fuselage fracturing forward and aft of the wing, one wing losing an engine and the other its winglet tip, and the nose section being crushed. The landing gear failed and put the aircraft on its belly. Its momentum carried it through the perimeter fence at freeway speeds,[13] and across Norman Manley Highway before finally coming to rest, upright within meters of Kingston's outer harbor and the open Caribbean Sea.[2] The 737 was damaged beyond economic repair.[14]

Response and investigation

Although the airport was closed after the accident, delaying about 400 travelers, it later re-opened with a reduced runway length available due to the tail section wreckage. Larger flights were diverted to Montego Bay's Sangster International Airport for two days.[15][16]

An investigation into the accident has been launched. The US National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to assist the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority officials.[17] American Airlines has also sent a crash team to assist other investigators.[18]

Later reports showed the crew had contacted Jamaica Air Traffic Control to request the Instrument Landing System approach for Runway 12, the designated runway broadcasted by the Automatic Terminal Information Service for arrivals that night. They were, however, advised of tailwind conditions on Runway 12 and offered a circling approach for landing on Runway 30. "The crew repeated their request for Runway 12 and were subsequently cleared to land on that runway with the controller further advising the crew that the runway was wet."[19]

Jamaican Director General of Civil Aviation Col. Oscar Derby, stated in the week following the accident, that the jet touched down about halfway down the 8,910 feet (2,720 m) runway. He also noted that the 737-800 is equipped with a head-up display. Other factors being investigated include "tailwinds, and a rain soaked runway;" the runway in question was not equipped with rain-dispersing grooves common at larger airports. The aircraft held a relatively heavy fuel load at the time of landing; it was carrying enough fuel for a roundtrip flight back to the US.[13]

The FDR later revealed that the aircraft touched down some 4,100 feet (1,200 m) down the 8,910 feet (2,720 m) long runway. Normally touchdown would be between 1,000 feet (300 m) and 1,500 feet (460 m). The aircraft was still travelling 72 miles per hour (116 km/h) when it departed the end of the runway. The aircraft landed with a 16 miles per hour (26 km/h) tailwind, just within its limit of 17 miles per hour (27 km/h).[20]

After the crash it was announced American Airlines was involved in an FAA review of company landing procedures following three landing incidents in two weeks; in the other two instances plane wingtips touched the ground during landing.[21]

Passenger details

According to the U.S. State Department, 76 of the passengers on board were Americans.[11]

There were no types of injuries reported.[6][15]

Reports from Jamaica indicate that as of December 28, most passenger and crew property was yet to be returned due to the investigation; American Airlines provided each passenger $5,000 to compensate for the lengthy quarantine of baggage.[22]

See also

Portal icon United States portal
Portal icon Jamaica portal
Portal icon Aviation portal


References

  1. ^ "Plane overshoots Jamaica runway; more than 40 hurt". KVTZ. http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11721093. Retrieved 23 December 2009. [dead link]
  2. ^ a b c "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20091222-0. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  3. ^ "Boeing 737 Next Gen : Complete list". Airfleets. http://www.airfleets.net/listing/b737ng-12.htm. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  4. ^ "Aircraft Registration Database Lookup". Airframes. http://www.airframes.org/reg/n977an. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  5. ^ "AMERICAN AIRLINES STATEMENT REGARDING FLIGHT 331 Release #1 @ 11:58 (p.m.) U.S. Central Time". American Airlines. http://aa.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=2812. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  6. ^ a b "Wreckage Probe Nears End; Jamaica Awaits Details - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9426556. Retrieved 2010-05-10. 
  7. ^ METAR MKJP 230300Z 32008KT 33000 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 21/20 Q1014 RETSRA Wunderground (Translation)
  8. ^ SPECI MKJP 230325Z 32011KT 22000 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 21/19 Q1014 RETSRA Wunderground (Translation)
  9. ^ "msnbc.com Video Player". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/34577868#34577868. Retrieved 2010-05-10. 
  10. ^ "AMR Jet Had to Use Jamaica Runway Lacking Some Approach Lights". Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601209&sid=a_jfsOadTo0E. Retrieved 25 December 2009. 
  11. ^ a b "'Best Christmas' for Pilot of Jet That Crashed in Jamaica." Associated Press at Fox News. Saturday December 26, 2009. Retrieved on December 27, 2009.
  12. ^ http://www.jcaa.gov.jm/NEWS_UPDATES/JCAA%20PRESS%20RELEASE%20FOR%20AMERICAN%20AIRLINES%20FLIGHT%20331%20ACCIDENT%20INVESTIGATION%20.pdf
  13. ^ a b Friedman, Scott (2009-12-30). "Jamaican Officials Probe AA331 Touchdown Point | NBC Dallas-Fort Worth". Nbcdfw.com. http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local-beat/Investigators--AA-Plane-Landed-Nearly-Half-way-Down-Runway-Before-Jamaica-Crash-80278032.html. Retrieved 2010-05-10. 
  14. ^ "RECENT ACCIDENTS / INCIDENTS WORLDWIDE". Jacdec. http://www.jacdec.de/news/news.htm. Retrieved 24 December 2009. 
  15. ^ a b [1][dead link]
  16. ^ "PICTURE: Kingston weather poor at time of American 737 overrun". Flight Global. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/23/336556/kingston-weather-poor-at-time-of-american-737-overrun.html. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  17. ^ "NTSB Sends Team to Assist Government of Jamaica in Aviation Accident". National Transportation Safety Board. http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2009/091223.html. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  18. ^ "Jamaica Gleaner News - Airplane adversities: The plain facts - Auto - Sunday | January 3, 2010". Jamaica-gleaner.com. 2010-01-03. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100103/auto/auto1.html. Retrieved 2010-05-10. 
  19. ^ "AA331 crash probe rules out mechanical failure - Breaking & Current Jamaica News". JamaicaObserver.com. 2010-01-07. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/AA331-crash-probe-jan-1--2010_7308074. Retrieved 2010-05-10. 
  20. ^ "American jet landed too far down runway, Jamaican official says". Dallas Morning News. 6 January 2010. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-american_06bus.ART0.State.Edition2.4ba7c66.html. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 
  21. ^ Font size Print E-mail Share 6 Comments (2010-01-02). "American Airlines Mishaps Spark Scrutiny". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/02/business/main6048625.shtml. Retrieved 2010-05-10. 
  22. ^ "Jamaica Gleaner News - Passengers yet to receive checked luggage - Lead Stories - Monday | December 28, 2009". Jamaica-gleaner.com. 2009-12-28. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091228/lead/lead2.html. Retrieved 2010-05-10. 

External links

External images
Aerial photos of the crashed aircraft at Marvhamm.com
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