# Accident 20101026050469A: Boeing 757-223, Miami, FL, October 26, 2010 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 26, 2010, 21:30 local time - Place: Miami, FL - Airport: Miami International - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121) - Operator: AALA - Location: 25.7794° N, 80.1990° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=25.7794&lon=-80.1990&mi=10 - Aircraft: N626AA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N626AA-2016-05-19) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Boeing 757-223 (registry code 1384957, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-757-223) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Rolls-Royce RB-211 series (registry code 54555, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-rb-211-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOEING 757-223 - Reported engine: ROLLS-ROYC RB.211 SERIES - People aboard: 160 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 15,000 total, 4,400 in this make and model, 130 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB DCA11FA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA11FA004) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20101026050469A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON OCTOBER 26, 2010, AT APPROXIMATELY 2157 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT) (UTC -4), N626AA, A BOEING B-757-223 OPERATED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC., AS AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 1640 (AA 1640) EXPERIENCED A RAPID DECOMPRESSION APPROXIMATELY 33 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE FROM MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MIAMI, FLORIDA (MIA). AT THE TIME OF THE DECOMPRESSION, THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT 31,000 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). OXYGEN MASKS WERE DEPLOYED. AS A RESULT OF THE LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION, THE CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO MIA. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE INTENDED DESTINATION WAS THE GENERAL EDWARD LAWRENCE LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS (BOS). THERE WERE 154 PASSENGERS AND 6 CREWMEMBERS ON BOARD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. NIGHT VISUAL FLIGHT RULE (VFR) CONDITIONS PREVAILED. POSTFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A FUSELAGE HULL BREACH AT A POINT JUST AFT OF THE L1 (FORWARD LEFT-HAND) CABIN DOOR, BETWEEN THE LEFT HAND UPPER LAP JOINT AND THE CROWN. THE HOLE IS APPROXIMATELY (2) TWO FEET LONG AND (1) ONE FOOT WIDE, WITH ROUNDED CORNERS. THE LONG AXIS OF THE HOLE WAS PARALLEL TO THE CENTERLINE OF THE FUSELAGE. THE FORWARD ¾ OF THE SKIN FROM THE HOLED AREA REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT ALONG A STINGER ON THE CROWN SIDE OF THE HOLE. THE REAR ¼ OF THE SKIN FROM THE AREA OF THE HOLE WAS MISSING. AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT, N626AA HAD ACCUMULATED 63,009 HOURS OF TIME IN SERVICE, AND 22,450 CYCLES. N626AA WAS DELIVERED TO AMERICAN AIRLINES IN AUGUST 1990. AT THE TIME OF THE ARRIVAL AT MIA, WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED AS WIND 110 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 1,900 AND 25,000 FEET, TEMPERATURE 27ºC (81 ºF), DEWPOINT 24 ºC (75ºF), ALTIMETER SETTING 30.01 IN. HG. ## 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 DCA11FA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA11FA004), Oct 27, 2010: Boeing 757-223 (N626AA), Miami, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: Fatigue failure of the fuselage crown skin due to incorrect manufacturing of the crown skin panel that resulted in a skin thickness less than the manufacturer-specified thickness. ## Other reports on N626AA (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20020522013409I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020522013409I), May 22, 2002: Boeing 757223 (N626AA), Las Vegas, NV, Minor damage. (-23) During descent into (las), passenger was smoking in right hand aft lavatory. To hide the fact that he was smoking he ignited the air freshener in the… - [Incident 19920729038419I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920729038419I), Jul 29, 1992: Boeing 757223 (N626AA), Jackson, WY. On landing rollout the aircraft overran the departure end of runway. Three runway end lights damaged. Two tires cut 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.