Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sangster International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Montego Bay Jamaica
Monday, December 15, 1997 15:26 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the flying pilot, the existing wind information was different from the planned wind information, resulting in a 'circle to land' approach on runway 25. The downwind leg and turn to final were normal with the airplane on speed, and 'in the slot'. As per the final approach checklist the pilot armed the spoilers for deployment on main wheel touchdown. Upon touchdown the airplane bounced and the pilot said he increased the pitch attitude of the airplane to soften the second touchdown. On the second touchdown, a flight attendant heard a loud bang in the aft section of the airplane. Post flight inspection revealed damage to the tail skid area on the underside of the airplane. According to the flight manual, the deployment of the ground spoilers induces a 2 degree pitch up and increases the sink rate of the aircraft, therefore contributing to the higher pitch angle that can result in tail strikes. In the American Airlines A300 operating manual under touchdown, it states that 'no attempt should be made to hold the airplane off by further increase in attitude.' According to the flight data recorder the pitch attitude reached a maximum of 11.78 degrees which occurred when the airplane touched down for the second time. The tail strike pitch attitude is 11.4 degrees.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing, compounded by the automatic deployment of the ground spoilers on main wheel spin-up, resulting in a pitch angle beyond the tail strike pitch angle of the airplane, which led to the tail contacting the runway.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 12/15/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1526 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | MONTEGO BAY |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | JAMAICA |
| Zipcode of the event site | 00000 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SANGSTER INTERNATIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MBJ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MBJ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1911 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 246 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5044 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 15 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1500 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N90070 |
| NTSB Number | ATL98IA024 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Airbus Industrie |
| Aircraft Model | A-300-600 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | A300-600 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 513 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 375888 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/Foreign Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 267 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 20 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1779 |
| Airframe Hours | 24372 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ORIX AIRCRAFT CORP. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AMERICAN AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 4333 AMON CARTER BLVD |
| Operator City | DFW AIRPORT |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 76155 |
| Operator Code | AALA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | Yes |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | International |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger/Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | JFK |
| Departure City | JFK |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1041 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | MBJ |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 28 2001 1:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 25 |
| Runway Length | 8400 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |