Boeing 727-223 N882AA

Summary

On 15 May 1991 at about 13:13 local time, a Boeing 727-223 registered N882AA, operated by American Airlines, Inc., was involved in an incident near Nashville, Tennessee, United States. 138 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 May 1991 at 13:13

Classification

Incident

Location

Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Nashville International (BNA)

Coordinates

36.1092, -86.6599

Aircraft

Boeing 727-223

Registration

N882AA

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

American Airlines, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Orleans → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

IMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

ATL91IA094

Nobody was injured.

THE CAPTAIN'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER GLIDE PATH AFTER DISCONNECTION OF THE AUTOPILOT DURING THE FINAL APPROACH. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE CAPTAIN'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW COMPANY PROCEDURES FOR CATEGORY II APPROACHES, THE FIRST OFFICER'S FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY MONITOR THE APPROACH DURING THE FINAL PHASE, PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, AND THE LOW VISIBILITY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

FLT 1206 WAS ON FINAL FOR A CAT II ILS RWY 2L APCH. THE LAST RPRTD RVR PRIOR TO LANDING WAS 700 FT, & 1200 FT RVR WAS RPRTD AS THE FLT CROSSED THE OUTER MARKER. MINIMUMS FOR THE APCH WERE 1200 FT RVR. ON SHORT FINAL, THE CAPT SAW APCH LIGHTS & DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPILOT AS THE ACFT DSCNDD BELOW 200 FT AGL. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN 408 FT SHORT OF THE RWY THRESHOLD, DAMAGING THE APCH LIGHTING SYS & THE ACFT. DFDR READOUT REVEALED THE ACFT RATE OF DSCNT INCREASED FROM 720 FPM TO 1400 FPM AFTER THE AUTOPILOT WAS DISCONNECTED, WHILE AIRSPEED REMAINED CONSTANT. INSPN OF THE ACFT NAV EQUIP & ARPT NAV AIDS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MALFUNCTION. ALTHOUGH THE CAPT STATED THAT HE HAD THE APCH LIGHTS VISUALLY, HE WAS UNAWARE THE ACFT HAD LANDED SHORT. THE FLT ENGINEER STATED HE FELT THE ACFT HAD INDEED LANDED SHORT. THE CAPT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPILOT AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, ALTHOUGH COMPANY PROCEDURES REQUIRED USE OF THE AUTOPILOT DOWN TO DECISION HEIGHT (100 FT AGL).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.