1999 — June 1, American Airlines 1420 landing crash during storm, Little Rock, AR — 11

—  11  BAAA. Crash of a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 in Little Rock: 11 Killed.

—  11  NTSB. Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB-AAR-01/02). Runway Overrun During…” 2001.

—  11  Planecrashinfo.com.  “1999. Accident Details. American Air…Little Rock, AR, June 1.”

 

Narrative Information

 

NTSB: “Abstract: On June 1, 1999, at 2350:44 central daylight time, American Airlines flight 1420, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), N215AA, crashed after it overran the end of runway 4R during landing at Little Rock National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas.

 

“Flight 1420 departed from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, about 2240 with 2 flight crewmembers, 4 flight attendants, and 139 passengers aboard and touched down in Little Rock at 2350:20. After departing the end of the runway, the airplane struck several tubes extending outward from the left edge of the instrument landing system localizer array, located 411 feet beyond the end of the runway; passed through a chain link security fence and over a rock embankment to a flood plain, located approximately 15 feet below the runway elevation; and collided with the structure supporting the runway 22L approach lighting system.

 

“The captain and 10 passengers were killed; the first officer, the flight attendants, and 105 passengers received serious or minor injuries; and 24 passengers were not injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. Flight 1420 was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 on an instrument flight rules flight plan.

 

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable causes of this accident were the flight crew’s failure to discontinue the approach when severe thunderstorms and their associated hazards to flight operations had moved into the airport area and the crew’s failure to ensure that the spoilers had extended after touchdown. Contributing to the accident were the flight crew’s (1) impaired performance resulting from fatigue and the situational stress associated with the intent to land under the circumstances, (2) continuation of the approach to a landing when the company’s maximum crosswind component was exceeded, and (3) use of reverse thrust greater than 1.3 engine pressure ratio after landing.

 

“The safety issues in this report focus on flight crew performance, flight crew decision-making regarding operations in adverse weather, pilot fatigue, weather information dissemination, emergency response, frangibility of airport structures, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight. Safety recommendations concerning these issues are addressed to the FAA and the National Weather Service.”  (NTSB-AAR-01/02)

 

Planecrashinfo.com: “The plane was on a flight from Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas to Little Rock, Arkansas. While attempting to land at Little Rock Airport, the flight encountered heavy thunderstorms, rain and strong winds. The aircraft landed fast and hard, skidded off the end of the runway and struck a landing light tower, breaking into three parts and bursting into flames. Crew’s decision to continue the approach despite severe thunderstorms in the area and crosswinds that exceeded American Airlines’ guidelines. The crew did not arm the automatic spoiler system before landing or manually deploy the spoilers after touchdown. Fatigue, the crew had been awake for nearly 16 hours.” (Planecrashinfo.com.)

 

Sources

 

Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Crash of a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 in Little Rock: 11 Killed. Accessed 12-6-2015 at: http://www.baaa-acro.com/1999/archives/crash-of-a-mcdonnell-douglas-md-82-in-little-rock-11-killed/

 

National Transportation Safety  Board. Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB-AAR-01/02). Runway Overrun During Landing, American Airlines Flight 1420, McDonnell Douglas MD-82, N215AA, Little Rock, Arkansas, June 1, 1999. Washington, DC: NTSB, 2001. Accessed at:  http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2001/AAR0102.htm

 

Planecrashinfo.com. “1999. “Accident Details…June 01, 1999…Little Rock, Arkansas… American Airlines Flight #1420….”  Accessed 12-6-2015 at: http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1999/1999-24.htm