What Caused The Crash Of American Airlines Flight 587?

On November 12th, 2001, American Airlines Flight 587 crashed into the neighborhood of Belle Harbor in Queens, New York, shortly after takeoff from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Operating on an Airbus A300B aircraft, Flight 587 carried 251 passengers and nine crew members to Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo.

All 260 occupants, as well as five people on the ground, lost their lives as a result of the horrific crash. It is the second-deadliest crash in US aviation history, behind American Airlines Flight 191 crash. It is also the second-deadliest crash involving an Airbus A300 aircraft, behind Iran Air Flight 655.

Unfolding of events

On an eventful morning, American Airlines Flight 587 taxied to the runway behind a Japan Airlines Boeing 747-400 (JAL Flight 47). Minutes later, JAL 47 was cleared for takeoff. The air traffic controller cautioned American 587 of possible wake turbulence from the preceding Boeing 747.

Just over two minutes later, American 587 took off from the same runway (31L) and began its initial climb. Shortly after leaving the ground, the aircraft made a left turn to climb to 5,000 ft (1,500 m). The controller affirmed the altitude and cleared the pilots to climb to 13,000 ft (4,000 m) and maintain.

During its left turn, the aircraft suffered a minor jolt, supposedly due to wake turbulence from the preceding aircraft. The pilot quickly moved the aircraft rudder from left to right multiple times to correct the turbulence. The rapid and successive yaw moments (combined with pitching moments due to climb and roll moments due to the bank angle) caused high forces on the vertical stabilizer. Composite lugs attaching the vertical stabilizer to the aircraft failed, forcing the stabilizer to separate from the aircraft, falling into Jamaica Bay.

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The Airbus A300 suddenly pitched downward due to the loss of vertical stabilizer. Moments later, the aircraft rolled to one side and entered into a spiral. The pilots struggled to control the crippled jet. Extreme aerodynamic forces resulting from the fast spiral shed both engines from the aircraft. As the aircraft plummeted, its engines damaged a gas station, a house, and a boat.

Onboard, power to the controls and most systems had been cut. The stall warning sounded in the cockpit while pilots struggled with the controls. Just about three minutes after leaving JFK, the aircraft slammed to the ground, killing 265 people, including those on the ground.

The cause of the crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) led a comprehensive investigation into the crash. The agency showed that the force or air moving across the rudder due to the excessive use of the rudder stressed the aircraft’s vertical stabilizer. According to the NTSB, the first officer’s use of the rudder with increased sideslip angles was unnecessary and excessive, which over-stressed the attachment lugs.

The Airbus A300’s sensitive rudder system contributed to the failure of the composite lugs. Moreover, the Advanced Aircraft Maneuvering Training Program employed by American Airlines also contributed to how pilots handled a simple wake turbulence situation.

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