Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Frankfurt Georgia
Monday, August 20, 2007 9:29 UTC

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

On August 20, 2007, at 0929 UTC, a U. S. registered Boeing 767-323, N369AA, operated by American Airlines as American Flight 84, sustained smoke in the airplane's cabin while taxiing to parking at the Frankfurt Am Main Airport (FRA), Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The scheduled international passenger flight from Chicago, Illinois, to Frankfurt, Germany was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 121. The pilot, copilot, 10 flight attendants and 158 passengers on board were not injured. According to the company, while en route, the flight crew received overheat status messages accompanied by popped circuit breakers. The flight crew followed proper procedures. When on the ground at FRA, while taxiing to the gate, the crew started the airplane's auxiliary power unit. Shortly after starting the APU smoke began to appear in the cabin. The flight crew proceeded immediately to the gate and expedited getting the passengers off the airplane. Investigators for the German Bundesstelle fur Flugenfallensuchung (BFU) discovered "ruptured" wires adjacent to a wire clamp in the airplane's aft cargo compartment. The sheathing around the wire bundles, the adjacent cargo compartment bulkhead walls and compartment insulated padding were charred and partially consumed. This investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the German government. Any further information may be obtained from: German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bundesstelle fur Flugenfallensuchung (BFU) Herman-Blenk Strasse 16 38108 Braunschweig Germany This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by, or obtained from, the BFU of Germany.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 8/20/2007
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 929
Event Time Zone Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT
Event City Frankfurt
Event State UNKNOWN
Event Country GEORGIA
Zipcode of the event site 00000
Event Date Year 2007
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 500622N
Event Location Longitude 0084034E
Event Location Airport --
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport --
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID FRA
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions --
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 6
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 203
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.77
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 170
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency Foreign
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) --
NTSB Notification Source German BFU
NTSB Notification Date Aug 21 2007 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Aug 24 2007 5:30PM
User who most recently changed record ntsb\Administrator
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office German BFU

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N369AA
NTSB Number DEN07WA143
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage Minor
Aircraft Fire --
Aircraft Explosion --
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Boeing
Aircraft Model 767-323
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number --
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines --
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection --
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed --
ELT Activated --
ELT Aided Location of Event Site --
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name --
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City --
Aircraft Owner State --
Aircraft Owner Country --
Aircraft Owner Zipcode --
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? --
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? --
Operator Street Address 4 New York Plaza Floor 15
Operator City New York
Operator State NY
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 10004
Operator Code AALA
Owner has at least one certificate --
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
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 Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) --
Second Pilot on Board --
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ORD
Departure City Chicago
Departure State IL
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone --
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code FRA
Destination City Frankfurt
Destination State UN
Destination Country GE
Specific Phase of Flight Taxi - from landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Aug 24 2007 4:46PM
User who most recently changed record BOWL
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --