Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fort Myers, Florida 33907
Wednesday, July 18, 1990 16:48 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AN AMERICAN AIRLINES, BOEING 727-223, WAS IFR AT FLIGHT LEVEL 30,200. THE AIRPLANE WAS 15 NAUTICAL MILES, NORTHWEST OF FORT MYERS, FLORIDA, IN A DESCENT TO MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MIAMI, FLORIDA, WHEN IT EXPERIENCED AN UNFORECASTED ENCOUNTER WITH WEATHER (SEVER TURBLENCE). THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT DAMAGED. ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURY, AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE ARRIVED AT DESTINATION AIRPORT WITHOUT FIRTHER INCIDENT. ANALYSIS OF THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER REVEALED THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBJECTED TO A SERIES OF OSCILLATING VERTICAL ('G') LOADS FOR A PERIOD OF 50 SECONDS. THE MAXIMUM G LOAD WAS 1.94, AND THE MINIMUM WAS -0.55.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

UNFORECASTED ENCOUNTER WITH WEATHER. THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBLENCE DURING ENROUTE DESCENT, RESULTING IN ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SUSTAINING SERIOUS INJURY, AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINING MINOR INJURY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/18/1990
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1648
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City FORT MYERS
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33907
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1547 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 310
Weather Observation Facility ID FMY
Elevation of weather observation facility 18
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 115
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 12000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 23
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 150
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 819
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 18 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1815
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 41918
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 5:10PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6834
NTSB Number MIA90LA155
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BOEING
Aircraft Model 727-223
Aircraft Series Identifier 727-223
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 178000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 159
Number of Engines 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 59063
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AMERICAN AIRLINES INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 61916
Aircraft Owner City DALLAS
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 75261
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 61616
Operator City DALLAS
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 75261
Operator Code AALA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
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 Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code DFW
Departure City DALLAS
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 1258
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MIA
Destination City MIAMI
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 20 2002 12:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --