Airbus A-300-600R N41063

Summary

On 6 February 1997 at about 18:40 local time, a Airbus A-300-600R registered N41063, operated by American Airlines, Inc., was involved in an accident near St John Antigua, Antigua And Barbuda. 170 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 February 1997 at 18:40

Classification

Accident

Location

St John Antigua, Antigua And Barbuda

Nearest airport

St Johns/V.c Bird Interna (TAPA)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Airbus A-300-600R

Registration

N41063

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

American Airlines, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Juan → St. Johns

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA97LA027

Nobody was injured.

The captain failed to establish and maintain a stabilized approach (or perform a go-around), and applied excessive pitch rotation during the subsequent recovery from a bounced landing, resulting in a tail strike. A factor contributing to the accident was the operator's inadequate procedures to address corrective actions if an approach becomes unstabilized.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The scheduled flight from San Juan to the Antigua (ANU) area was uneventful. During the VOR 07 approach, at about 2,500 feet AGL, the flight maneuvered to avoid TCAS traffic. The runway was in sight. The captain was flying the transport category airplane on final approach with 40 degrees of flaps. At 1,000 feet, on the final approach to landing, the first officer made the company procedural 1,000 foot verbal callout and the captain brought the power above idle. The crew stated that the airplane was slightly high at 1,000 feet and by 500 feet they were 'in the slot' with airspeed about 20 knots above the reference speed of 128 knots and decreasing. Flight recorder data indicated that during the final approach segment from about an altitude of 500 feet to the ground, the airspeed decreased from 143 knots to 135, the pitch attitude increased from 1/2-degree nose up to 9 degrees nose up, the descent rate decreased from 1,700 feet per minute (fpm) to 1,000 fpm, and the flight path angle decreased from 5.8 degrees to 2.7 degrees. The airplane contacted the runway on the main landing gear and bounced, at which time the airplane pitched nose up to about 11 degrees. The tail of the airplane subsequently struck the runway and was substantially damaged. No anomalies with the airplane systems or engines were reported during the investigation. The airline's aircraft operating manual described a 'stabilized approach concept,' but the airline did not provide specific procedures regarding crew actions, or require a go-around, if an approach becomes unstabilized.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.