# Accident 19970512012989A: Airbus A300B4605R, West Palm Beach, FL, May 12, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 12, 1997, 15:29 local time - Place: West Palm Beach, FL - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121) - Operator: AALA - Location: 26.6600° N, 80.0894° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.6600&lon=-80.0894&mi=10 - Aircraft: N90070, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N90070-2012-08-06) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Airbus Industrie A300 B4-605R (registry code 3930308, https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-industrie-a300-b4-605r) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: GE CF6-80 series (registry code 30025, https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-cf6-80-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRBUS A300B4605R - People aboard: 163 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 12,000 total, 500 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB DCA97MA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA97MA049) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970512012989A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.4) THE FLIGHT WAS ASSIGNED AN AIRSPEED OF 230 KNOTS AND CLEARED TO DESCEND FROM FL240 TO 16,000 FEET IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING AT MIAMI. THE FDR INDICATED THAT WHILE THE AUTOPILOT WAS ENGAGED IN THE DESCENT, THE POWER LEVERS MOVED FROM THE MECHANICAL AUTOTHROTTLE LIMIT OF 44 DEGREES TO THE MANUAL LIMIT OF 37 DEGREES. AS THE AIRCRAFT LEVELED AT 16,000 FEET THE AIRSPEED DECREASED. THE F/O BEGAN A RIGHT TURN TO ENTER A HOLDING PATTERN AND ADDED SOME POWER, WHICH STABILIZED THE AIRSPEED AT 178 KNOTS. HOWEVER, THE RIGHT BANK AND THE RESULTANT ANGLE OF ATTACK (AOA) CONTINUED TO INCREASE, DESPITE LEFT AILERON INPUT BY THE AUTOPILOT. AS THE AUTOPILOT REACHED THE MAXIMUM INPUT OF 20 DEGREES, BANK ANGLE INCREASED PAST 50 DEGREES, AND THE AOA INCREASED RAPIDLY FROM 7 DEGREES TO 12 DEGREES. AT THIS POINT THE STICK SHAKER ACTIVATED, THE AUTOPILOT INDEPENDENTLY DISCONNECTED, THE POWER WAS INCREASED, AND FULL LEFT RUDDER WAS USED TO ARREST THE ROLL. THE BANK ANGLE REACHED 56 DEGREES, AND THE AOA REACHED 13.7 DEGREES AT 177 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN PITCHED DOWN, AND ENTERED A SERIES OF PITCH, YAW, AND ROLL MANEUVERS AS THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WENT THROUGH A PERIOD OF OSCILLATIONS FOR ABOUT 34 SECONDS. THE MANEUVERS FINALLY DAMPENED AND THE CREW RECOVERED AT APPROXIMATELY 13,000 FEET. ONE PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES DURING THE UPSET. ACCORDING TO WIND TUNNEL AND FLIGHT TEST DATA THE A300 ENGINEERING SIMULATOR SHOULD ADEQUATELY REPRESENT THE AIRCRAFT UP TO 9 DEGREES AOA. UNLIKE THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT; HOWEVER, THE SIMULATOR RECOVERED TO WINGS LEVEL PROMPTLY WHEN THE LATERAL CONTROL INPUTS RECORDED BY THE FDR WERE USED. THE ROLL DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SIMULATOR AND ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT BEGAN AT 7 DEGREES AOA, AND IT APPEARS THAT SOM EFFECT NOT MODELED IN THE SIMULATOR PRODUCED THE ROLL DISCREPANCY. JUST PRIOR TO THE UPSET THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ENTERED A CLOUD DECK. THE WINDS WERE APPROXIMATELY 240 DEGREES, 35 KNOTS, AND THE AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY MINUS 4 DEGREES C. AN ATMOSPHERIC DISTRUBANCE AOR ASYMMETRIC ICE CONTAMINATION WERE TWO POSSIBLE EXPLANATION CONSIDERED, BUT UNPROVEN. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB DCA97MA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA97MA049), May 12, 1997: Airbus Industrie A300B4-605R (N90070), West Palm Beach, FL, minor damage. Probable cause: The flightcrew's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during leveloff which led to an inadvertent stall, and their subsequent failure to use proper stall recovery techniques. A factor contributing… ## Other reports on N90070 (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19971215043949I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971215043949I), Dec 15, 1997: Airbus A300B4605R (N90070), Montego Bay, JM, Minor damage. Narrative: aircraft landed at mbj striking the tail skid. The force of impact caused frame 77 to buckle slightly & crack in two places. Shear ties attaching… - [Incident 19950719031639I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950719031639I), Jul 19, 1995: Airbus A300B4605R (N90070), Miami, FL, Minor damage. Severe cat at FL330. Seat sign on. Several passengers and purser injured. Returned to mia. Ambulences at arrival. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.