What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
American airlines 300 departed jfk runway 31L enroute to lax. Approximately 30 minutes later the flight returned to jfk where the pilots reported a flight control malfunction resulting in an uncommanded steep roll to the left on rotation. The resulting roll caused the aircraft to sustain substantial damage to the left winglet, wing, aileron, leading edge slat, and trailing edge flaps. The aircraft struck the 5,000' remaining marker and a runway edge light. Analysis of recorded data and reconstructed animation does not indicate any uncommanded flight control movements. The recorded data suggests the steep roll on rotation to have been caused by incorrect flight control inputs by the pilot flying during takeoff with a sustained crosswind.
As the FAA filed it
AMERICAN AIRLINES 300 DEPARTED JFK RUNWAY 31L ENROUTE TO LAX. APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES LATER THE FLIGHT RETURNED TO JFK WHERE THE PILOTS REPORTED A FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION RESULTING IN AN UNCOMMANDED STEEP ROLL TO THE LEFT ON ROTATION. THE RESULTING ROLL CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SUSTAIN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WINGLET, WING, AILERON, LEADING EDGE SLAT, AND TRAILING EDGE FLAPS. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE 5,000' REMAINING MARKER AND A RUNWAY EDGE LIGHT. ANALYSIS OF RECORDED DATA AND RECONSTRUCTED ANIMATION DOES NOT INDICATE ANY UNCOMMANDED FLIGHT CONTROL MOVEMENTS. THE RECORDED DATA SUGGESTS THE STEEP ROLL ON ROTATION TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY INCORRECT FLIGHT CONTROL INPUTS BY THE PILOT FLYING DURING TAKEOFF WITH A SUSTAINED CROSSWIND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.