What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft made hard landing and damaged the tail structure. The NTSB has upgraded this incident to an accident due to the substantial damage the aircraft sustained. No injuries were reported. (.19) on July 15, 1999, about 1720 eastern daylight time, an Airbus A300-600ER, N80057, operated by American airlines as flight 670, was substantially damaged while landing at John f. Kennedy international airport, jamaica, New York. There were no injuries to the 2 certificated airline transport pilots, 8 flight attendants, or 180 passengers. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that had departed from port-au-prince international airport (mtpp), haiti, about 1209. Flight 670 was operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan under 14 CFR part 121.American airlines personnel reported that the flight was uneventful until the landing on runway 13L at which point the tail struck the ground. The airplane subsequently taxied to the gate without assistance where the passengers deplaned through the jetway. Post flight examination of the airplane by American airlines revealed that the fuselage was damaged between frames 68 and 80, and stringers 51 on the left and right sides of the fuselage. Internal structure elements were found to be bent, twisted, and broken. Several area of fuselage skin which covered the area were also damaged. The flight data recorder was read out by American airlines and the data forwarded to the safety board. According to the data, the airplane made initial touchdown on the right main landing gear, and the squat switch transitioned from the flight mode to the ground mode. The airplane then became momentarily airborne, and while airborne, the ground spoilers on both wings extended. The airplane touched down a second time on both main landing gear and the tail skid, with a pitch attitude of 9.32 degrees airplane nose up, and a +2.26 "g" load recorded on the vertical acceleration axis. According to American airlines, the ground spoilers will extend if both throttles are at the flight idle position, and either main landing gear squat switch transitions to the ground mode. Upon becoming airborne, the spoilers will not automatically retract without throttles being advanced. The captain was receiving his intial operating experience in the airplane and was reported to have in excess of 3,000 flight hours as a first officer in the A300. The check airman in the right seat who was conducting the initial operating experience was reported to have in excess of 4,000 flight hours in the A300. (-23)at 1701L 07/15/1999 aal flt 670 pap/jfk incurred a tail strike at jfk. There was no report to or from the comm center. The flt crew reported in the aircraft log that the aircraft made a "firm" landing and for maintenance to inspect the aft fuselage for a possible tail strike.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT MADE HARD LANDING AND DAMAGED THE TAIL STRUCTURE. THE NTSB HAS UPGRADED THIS INCIDENT TO AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. (.19) ON JULY 15, 1999, ABOUT 1720 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIRBUS A300-600ER, N80057, OPERATED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES AS FLIGHT 670, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE LANDING AT JOHN F. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, JAMAICA, NEW YORK. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE 2 CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOTS, 8 FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, OR 180 PASSENGERS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT HAD DEPARTED FROM PORT-AU-PRINCE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MTPP), HAITI, ABOUT 1209. FLIGHT 670 WAS OPERATED ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN UNDER 14 CFR PART 121.AMERICAN AIRLINES PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL THE LANDING ON RUNWAY 13L AT WHICH POINT THE TAIL STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY TAXIED TO THE GATE WITHOUT ASSISTANCE WHERE THE PASSENGERS DEPLANED THROUGH THE JETWAY. POST FLIGHT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AMERICAN AIRLINES REVEALED THAT THE FUSELAGE WAS DAMAGED BETWEEN FRAMES 68 AND 80, AND STRINGERS 51 ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES OF THE FUSELAGE. INTERNAL STRUCTURE ELEMENTS WERE FOUND TO BE BENT, TWISTED, AND BROKEN. SEVERAL AREA OF FUSELAGE SKIN WHICH COVERED THE AREA WERE ALSO DAMAGED. THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER WAS READ OUT BY AMERICAN AIRLINES AND THE DATA FORWARDED TO THE SAFETY BOARD. ACCORDING TO THE DATA, THE AIRPLANE MADE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR, AND THE SQUAT SWITCH TRANSITIONED FROM THE FLIGHT MODE TO THE GROUND MODE. THE AIRPLANE THEN BECAME MOMENTARILY AIRBORNE, AND WHILE AIRBORNE, THE GROUND SPOILERS ON BOTH WINGS EXTENDED. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN A SECOND TIME ON BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THE TAIL SKID, WITH A PITCH ATTITUDE OF 9.32 DEGREES AIRPLANE NOSE UP, AND A +2.26 "G" LOAD RECORDED ON THE VERTICAL ACCELERATION AXIS. ACCORDING TO AMERICAN AIRLINES, THE GROUND SPOILERS WILL EXTEND IF BOTH THROTTLES ARE AT THE FLIGHT IDLE POSITION, AND EITHER MAIN LANDING GEAR SQUAT SWITCH TRANSITIONS TO THE GROUND MODE. UPON BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE SPOILERS WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY RETRACT WITHOUT THROTTLES BEING ADVANCED. THE CAPTAIN WAS RECEIVING HIS INTIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE AND WAS REPORTED TO HAVE IN EXCESS OF 3,000 FLIGHT HOURS AS A FIRST OFFICER IN THE A300. THE CHECK AIRMAN IN THE RIGHT SEAT WHO WAS CONDUCTING THE INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE IN EXCESS OF 4,000 FLIGHT HOURS IN THE A300. (-23)AT 1701L 07/15/1999 AAL FLT 670 PAP/JFK INCURRED A TAIL STRIKE AT JFK. THERE WAS NO REPORT TO OR FROM THE COMM CENTER. THE FLT CREW REPORTED IN THE AIRCRAFT LOG THAT THE AIRCRAFT MADE A "FIRM" LANDING AND FOR MAINTENANCE TO INSPECT THE AFT FUSELAGE FOR A POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N80057 · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.