- Date
- February 9, 1998, 09:54 local (15:54 UTC)
- Place
- Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 23 minor, 99 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N845AABoeing 727-223
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2001
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- Case key
- 11046
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the failure of the flight crew to maintain a proper pitch attitude for a successful landing or go-around. Contributing to the accident were the divergent pitch oscillations of the airplane, which occurred during the final approach and were the result of an improper autopilot desensitization rate.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The full report for NTSB Report Number AAB-01-01 is available at www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm. On February 9, 1998, about 0954 central standard time (CST), a Boeing 727-223 (727), N845AA, operated by American Airlines as flight 1340, impacted the ground short of the runway 14R threshold at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) while conducting a Category II (CAT II) instrument landing system (ILS) coupled approach. Twenty-two passengers and one flight attendant received minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane, being operated by American Airlines as a scheduled domestic passenger flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121, with 116 passengers, 3 flight crewmembers, and 3 flight attendants on board, was destined for Chicago, Illinois, from Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Kansas City, Missouri. Daylight instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The full report for NTSB Report Number AAB-01-01 is available at www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm.
On February 9, 1998, about 0954 central standard time (CST), a Boeing 727-223 (727), N845AA, operated by American Airlines as flight 1340, impacted the ground short of the runway 14R threshold at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) while conducting a Category II (CAT II) instrument landing system (ILS) coupled approach. Twenty-two passengers and one flight attendant received minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane, being operated by American Airlines as a scheduled domestic passenger flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121, with 116 passengers, 3 flight crewmembers, and 3 flight attendants on board, was destined for Chicago, Illinois, from Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Kansas City, Missouri. Daylight instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N845AA
- Reported as
- Boeing 727-223
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20986
- Airframe hours
- 59,069
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-9, 14,500 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- American Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 6, 1998 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- MCI · Kansas City, KS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ORD · Chicago O'Hare Internatio, runway 14R, 13,000 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- April 25, 1997
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total · 1,319 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 104 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 0.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD
Other investigations on N845AA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.