An American Airlines plane crashed and broke in two after landing at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston shortly after 10:00 pm Tuesday.
Details were not immediately available, however, passengers on the plane told the Observer that AA331 had just arrived from Miami in pouring rain when the accident occurred.
“The plane crashed and broke almost in front of me,” said a shaken Naomi Palmer who was seated at seat number D8.
Palmer said she was feeling some pain and was being supported by a friend on the outside of the arrival area when she spoke with the Observer.
Emergency vehicles sirens could be heard in the background as she spoke via cellphone
By: Arabella-Cox - 8th January 2010 at 16:34
Two pictures a friend just sent me.
That is supposedly the Captain of AA331 helping a passenger. I’m not sure it is, but looking at him I just feel so sorry for him. Rightly or wrongly, he’ll get some or all of the blame and that just makes me feel incredibly sorry for him. 🙁
I’m just too soft for my own good.
Bmused, apparently the Captain in the picture was another deadheading pilot.
Cheers
27vet
By: Arabella-Cox - 7th January 2010 at 20:47
Slightly more comprehensive report:
Pilots in AA Kingston overrun were advised to use a different approach
Controllers at Norman Manley International airport in Kingston, Jamaica offered the crew of an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 that overran a runway on 23 December a circling approach to the opposite runway end in order to avoid tailwind conditions prevalent at the time, according to a preliminary report released today by the civil aviation authority of Jamaica.
During a landing in heavy rain the aircraft exited the runway, went through a perimeter fence, crossed a road and came to rest 53m (175ft) beyond the end of runway 12, which was 12m (40ft) from the water line.
Officials say the controllers on duty at the time advised the American crew of tailwind conditions on runway 12. The airport has a single runway designated 12/30.
In the report Jamaican authorities explained air traffic control offered the crew a circling approach for landing on runway 30.
“The crew repeated their request for runway 12 and were subsequently cleared to land on that runway, with the controller further advising the crew that the runway was wet,” the report states.
The captain was operating the aircraft at the time, and reported he was using the 737’s head-up display during approach and landing.
After descending through cloud cover the crew made visual contact with the runway between 305m (1000ft) and 213m (700ft) above ground level. The flight data recorder (FDR) indicates the landing speed was 148kt (268 km/h), with a ground speed of 162kt (300 km/h) and a tailwind component of 14kt (25 km/h). The 737 made initial contact at 1,220m (4,000ft) down the 2,714m (8,900ft) runway.
FDR data show that the aircraft bounced once and settled into the runway. The autobrakes then engaged, and reverse thrust and spoilers were deployed.
Jamaican authorities say the crew reported at that point they felt the aircraft did not decelerate normally, and applied maximum breaking.
During the landing rollout, the FDR shows the aircraft veered to the left of centreline and departed the end of the runway at a groundspeed of 63kt (116 km/h).
The reports states the FDR did not indicate any anomalies or malfunction with the operation of the brakes, spoilers or thrust reversers.
The runway at Kingston was rehabilitated in 1997-1998 with a mixture of asphalt and concrete that meets internationally accepted specifications and standards, said Jamaican officials during a press briefing today.
Those officials also said the fact that many aircraft have landed at the airport for years in heavy rains is “not outside the envelope of normality”.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
By: steve rowell - 7th January 2010 at 02:39
The American Airlines Boeing 737 that crash landed at a Jamaican airport last month touched down almost in the middle of the runway, a report by Jamaica’s Civil Aviation Authority said on Wednesday.
The report, which had contributions from the US National Transportation Safety Board, did not lay blame on anyone for the crash of flight 331 that injured over 90 of the 148 passengers and six crew members, but the local aviation authority said that a further report would be released as the investigations continue.
The Boeing 737 careened off the runway and broke into three parts on December 22 as it tried to land in rainy weather at Norman Manley Airport in Kingston.
The flight data recorder indicated the plane was travelling at more than 186 miles per hour when “the wheels made initial contact at about 4,000 feet down the 8,900-foot (2,700 metre) runway,” the report said.
The aircraft bounced once, then settled onto the runway, but the crew had trouble slowing the plane, which was still travelling at 72 mph when it reached the end of the runway, the report said.
“The plane went through the perimeter fence, crossed a road, and came to rest on a rock-strewn beach about 175 feet beyond the departure end of Runway 12 and about 40 feet from the water line,” the report said.
The report confirmed that the aircraft’s fuselage was broken into three major pieces and the right engine, right inboard aft trailing edge flap and the right main landing gear were torn from the aircraft during the accident.
The Jamaican authority said investigators were still evaluating runway surface conditions at the time of the plane’s landing to determine the effect on the braking forces, adding that no mechanical problems had been found with the aircraft so far.
(Reuters)
By: Ship 741 - 29th December 2009 at 13:33
Haha, speaking of classifications, I just remembered how we all like to dispute the category of ‘events’. I think this is definitely a ‘crash’ instead of an ‘accident’ or ‘incident’.
I don’t know of any regulatory organization that uses the term “crash.” While it is appropriate to recognize that different countries/organizations (military) have differing classifications with regard to what constitutes an incident or an accident, I think that most classify any event that causes a fatality or a hull loss would be classified as an accident. This certainly looks like a hull loss to me.
By: symon - 28th December 2009 at 11:45
Had there been a run off area, this may well have been a non event.
Haha, speaking of classifications, I just remembered how we all like to dispute the category of ‘events’. I think this is definitely a ‘crash’ instead of an ‘accident’ or ‘incident’.
By: Bmused55 - 28th December 2009 at 11:31
Most code4 runways in the UK have a 300m RESA, even a small Airport like Plymouth have a 90m RESA. The end safety area here appears to be about 2m, with no attempt of de-lethalisation what-so-ever.
Indeed!
It seems that this unfortunate bird recieved all of its damage after it hit that berm.
Had there been a run off area, this may well have been a non event.
By: spitfireman - 28th December 2009 at 10:32
There are 2 Airports with over-run arrester barriers in Finland but they too require an area for the aeroplane to be arrested.
There is another way of slowing down airliners, using arrester beds,
http://www.teterboro-online.com/news/news05/arrestor.shtml
again it still needs a sizable run-off to work.
By: Arabella-Cox - 28th December 2009 at 04:50
Most code4 runways in the UK have a 300m RESA, even a small Airport like Plymouth have a 90m RESA. The end safety area here appears to be about 2m, with no attempt of de-lethalisation what-so-ever.
Would some sort of a catch fence be a viable alternative?
By: spitfireman - 27th December 2009 at 21:52
Most code4 runways in the UK have a 300m RESA, even a small Airport like Plymouth have a 90m RESA. The end safety area here appears to be about 2m, with no attempt of de-lethalisation what-so-ever.
By: Arabella-Cox - 27th December 2009 at 17:33
where’s the RESA?
There isn’t one, is there? That is pretty obvious that most if not all of the damage was caused when the plane dropped off the end. Lucky they didn’t go sailing. What is the likelihood they will build one?
By: spitfireman - 27th December 2009 at 11:42
where’s the RESA?
By: steve rowell - 27th December 2009 at 01:23
There are some pretty good pictures in this forum that say it all :
Lucky there were no vehicles when it crossed the airport boundary road
By: Arabella-Cox - 25th December 2009 at 21:12
There are some pretty good pictures in this forum that say it all :
By: Arabella-Cox - 23rd December 2009 at 20:31
Two pictures a friend just sent me.
That is supposedly the Captain of AA331 helping a passenger. I’m not sure it is, but looking at him I just feel so sorry for him. Rightly or wrongly, he’ll get some or all of the blame and that just makes me feel incredibly sorry for him. 🙁
I’m just too soft for my own good.
Indeed, and they had just flown all the way there through crappy weather, they had to abandon the bar service. Although, If you read the METAR above, there is nothing really to warrant a diversion. Recent TS can indicate windshear.
By: Bmused55 - 23rd December 2009 at 20:24
Two pictures a friend just sent me.
That is supposedly the Captain of AA331 helping a passenger. I’m not sure it is, but looking at him I just feel so sorry for him. Rightly or wrongly, he’ll get some or all of the blame and that just makes me feel incredibly sorry for him. 🙁
I’m just too soft for my own good.
By: Arabella-Cox - 23rd December 2009 at 15:52
With the exception of “Recent Weather” that doesn’t look too bad… does it?
I would have said so too.
By: keltic - 23rd December 2009 at 15:49
Some websites indicate that the meteo was miserable at the time of the crash with low visibility and heavy rain. Was the crash avoidable?. I am glad they did it.
By: abutcher1985 - 23rd December 2009 at 15:40
METAR MKJP 230300Z 32008KT 3000 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 21/20 Q1014 RETSRA
With the exception of “Recent Weather” that doesn’t look too bad… does it?
By: Homer09001 - 23rd December 2009 at 14:19
It was a Boieng 737 800
REG:N977AN
Delivered:20:12:2001
Just had its 8th birthday
wow that must be a bummer for the insurers, having to fork out for a relatively new and expensive A/C.
But like people have said At least everyone is going to be with their family on Friday 🙂
By: Arabella-Cox - 23rd December 2009 at 11:42
METAR MKJP 230300Z 32008KT 3000 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 21/20 Q1014 RETSRA
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December 23, 2009 at 5:31 am