November 12, 2001
(2 months and 1 day after 9/11)
Model:Airbus A300
Departs: JFK Airport, NY
Destination: Las Americas International Airport, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Pilot: Ed States
Co-Pilot: Stan Molin
Cause of Crash: Pilot error in responding to turbulence.
The pilot overused the rudder to counter turbulence.
Events leading to crash:
- Japan Airlines Boeing 747-400 takes off
- Airbus A300B4-605R (this plane) takes off the same runway 30 sec later
- Control tower warns Airbus A300B4-605R of turbulence
- 1 minute later, Airbus A300B4-605R experiences small turbulence
- 30 sec later, Airbus A300B4-605R faces a much larger turbulence
- Plane starts banking to the left
- Stan Molin (co-pilot) starts using the rudder with the pedals from what he was taught in training, not realizing how sensitive the rudder was on the plane
- Plane then swings to the right because the rudder moved to the max, the vertical stabilizer faces stress because of the low altitude and high speed
- The rudder movements violently moves the plane, but Stan Molin thinks it was the turbulence
Events leading to the crash (continued):
- Stan Molin continues to use the rudder making the plane lose even more control
- Both the pilot and co-pilot still think the plane is stuck in the turbulence
- The desperate pilot Stan Molin tries everything to regain control, including the rudder (makes things worse)
- After 5 rudder movements, the vertical stabilizer comes off the fuselage
- G-forces tear off both the engines
- Now they are completely screwed
- and then... KA BOOOM!
Results:
- All 260 people onboard die
- 5 people on the ground die
- 1 person on the ground injured
- Plane crashed in Queens, NY
- 4 homes destroyed
- 3 homes with major damage
- 3 homes with minor damage
- At first, it was thought to be another terrorist plot since it was right after 9/11
Changes:
- American Airlines pilot training
- American Airlines retired all Airbus A300-600 in 2009
American Airlines 587 is the 2nd deadliest crash in the US, it was like a 2nd 9/11 for people who experience both events.
Sources:
http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20011130X02321&key=1
http://dms.ntsb.gov/aviation/AccidentReports/renrqif0njtniyivlft0am3n1/K01162013120000.pdf
http://dms.ntsb.gov/aviation/AccidentReports/1uhxrnexfnzumtbmxi34so551/T01162013120000.pdf
American Airlines Flight 587