# Incident 19991118030859I: Boeing 767223, Palm Springs, CA, November 18, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 18, 1999, 08:56 local time
- Place: Palm Springs, CA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: AALA
- Location: 33.8303° N, 116.5453° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Palm Springs, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8303&lon=-116.5453&mi=10
- Aircraft: N303AA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N303AA-2013-06-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 767-223 (registry code 1385123, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-767-223) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 767223
- Reported engine: GE CF680A
- People aboard: 119
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 11,000 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991118030859I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THIS RECORD REFLECTS A "-5" AS LATEST DATA SOURCE, BUT THE NARRATIVE TO FOLLOW THIS REMARK IS FROM .19. WAS INVESTIGATED BY NTSB. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 18, 1999, ABOUT 0900 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BOEING 767-223, N303AA, OPERATED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC., AS FLIGHT 160, EXPERIENCED A RAPID DECOMPRESSION DURING CLIMB. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT AND LANDED WITHOUT ADDITIONAL INCIDENT AT THE PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.  THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE.  NEITHER THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTICATED CAPTIAN NOR THE FIRST OFFICER WAS INJURED.  NONE OF THE 123 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED.  PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THAT 2 OF THE 10 FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, AND 4 OF THE 111 PASSENGERS REPORTED HAVING SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND SEVERAL WERE TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR EXAMINATION.  THE SCHEDULED, DOMESTIC, PASSENGER FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 121.  IT ORIGINATED FROM SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 0819, WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF THE JOHN F. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NEW YORK.  ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT CREW, WHI LE CLIMBING THROUGH 32,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, A RUMBLING SOUND WAS HEARD FOLLOWED BY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE "CENTER DUCT LEAK" LIGHT ON AN OVERHEAD PANEL. ACTION WAS TAKEN TO ISOLATE THE CENTER DUCT.  THE CABIN PRESSURIZATION CONTROLLER INDICATED A MAXIMUM RATE OF CLIMB.  UNABLE TO CONTROL THE RATE OF DEPRESSURIZATION, THE CREW PERFORMED THE "EXPLOSIVE DEPRESSURIZATION" OPERATING CHECKLIST PROCEDURE AND DESCENDED TO 10,000 FEET.  AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE MAIN CABIN AIR SUPPLY DUCT RUPTURED AT A WELD.  THEREAFTER DEBRIS/INSULATION ENTERED THE CABIN WHILE IT LOST PARTIAL PRESSURE. (-23) NO NARRATIVE REFLECTED

## Other reports on N303AA (5)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19920417016829I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920417016829I), Apr 17, 1992: Boeing 767223 (N303AA), New York, NY, Minor damage. Unsafe left gear down on approach. Gear extended while holding. Hydraulic line had ruptured.
- [Incident 19911010048519I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19911010048519I), Oct 10, 1991: Boeing 767223 (N303AA), San Francisco, CA, Minor damage. Cockpit window opened on takeoff roll. Aborted. Unable to unjam window.
- [Incident 19890906049279I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890906049279I), Sep 6, 1989: Boeing 767223 (N303AA), Las Vegas, NV, Minor damage. Right wing slide warning light. Returned. Slide door opened and slide deployed on touchdown. Slide system modified.
- [Incident 19850704036639I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850704036639I), Jul 4, 1985: Boeing 767223 (N303AA), Pullman, MI. Turbulence in flight resulted in minor injury to 3 flight attendants.
- [Incident 19850318013309I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850318013309I), Mar 18, 1985: Boeing 767223 (N303AA), Brooklyn, NY, Minor damage. Right hand wing slide deployed and separated aircraft on descent. Emergency escape hatch improperly installed.

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.