AA331 - MIA-MKJP - 22 DEC 09 - Broke in two after landing

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL331/history/20091223/0039Z/KMIA/MKJP

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/American-Airlines-plane-crashes-at-Jamaica-airport

Well, for some reason, I’m getting the $&%^@(%# FlightAware DEBUG MODE error when I try to C&P the Jamaica Observer article.

However, they’re now reporting 40 passengers injured.

http://www.miamiherald.com/854/story/1395524.html

Miami Herald report quotes a passenger as saying the plane broke apart in three pieces. Report states the plane overran the runway in heavy rain.

I’ve read on another website that there were perhaps three serious injuries.


On landing runway 12 at Norman Manley International Airport, the 737 ran beyond the end of the paved surface and fell down an embankment coming to rest on a beach. It is understood that there were no fatalities but a larger number of injured persons. The aircraft crossed the Norman Manley Highway where it lost its left main gear before its came to rest with its left wing broken. The aft fuselage folded and the right engine seprated resulting in irrepairable damage. At the time of the landing, local weather at Norman Manley consisted of intense rainfall and thunderstorm activity. (Jadec)

from ASN;

A Boeing 737-823, registered N977A and operated by American Airlines, sustained substantial damage in a runway excursion accident on landing at Kingston-Norman Manley International Airport (KIN), Jamaica. The six crew members and 148 passengers survived the accident.
Flight AA331 operated on a scheduled service from Washington-Ronald Reagan National Airport, DC (DCA) to Kingston with an intermediate stop at Miami International Airport, FL (MIA). The flight left Miami at 20:52. Initial reports indicate that the plane suffered a runway excursion on landing during a rainstorm. The plane skidded across a road and came to rest on a beach. The plane’s fuselage was cracked, its right engine broke off from the impact and the left main landing gear collapsed, according to an airline spokesman.
Weather reported about the time of the accident [22:22 local, 03:22 UTC]
MKJP 230300Z 32008KT 33000 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 21/20 Q1014 RETSRA (Wind 320 degrees at knots, heavy rain showers, ceiling at 1400 feet, broken clouds, few clouds with cumulonimbus 1,600 ft, scattered clouds 3,000 ft., broken clouds 10,000 ft; temperature 21 degrees C, dew point 20 degrees C, QNH 1014 mb)

CNN video report that 91 persons were taken to hospital, of those 88 were treated and released, 4 persons remain in hospital - non critical.

I’m thinking that AA training is going to be scrutinized here, this is there second bad landing in the past 30 days.

The tail number listed in the above post is incorrect, unless American is now flying Van’s RV-6’s. Wikipedia says the tail number is N977AN. According to the FAA, the plane was built in 2001.

Well Looks like I might be making trips to MKJP…

Who’s the 92nd person? 88 treated/released + 4 still in hospital = 92.

[quote=“damiross”]

That’s sort of like when there’s a bus accident and people walking down the street all climb on the bus and wait for EMS. Someone walked into the hospital and is waiting on the lawyer’s to arrive.

Nevermind. 87 released, 4 in hospital. Called 6AM math.


                   NTSB ADVISORY

National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

December 23, 2009


NTSB SENDS TEAM TO ASSIST GOVERNMENT OF JAMAICA IN AVIATION

ACCIDENT


The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a team

of investigators to assist the government of Jamaica in its

investigation of an accident involving an American Airlines

B737-800 (N977AN) yesterday evening. At approximately 10:00

pm local time, the aircraft, operating as flight 331 from

Miami, Florida, overshot the end of the runway while landing

at Kingston, Jamaica in heavy rain, crossed a road and

stopped on a beach. There were 154 passengers on board, and

6 crew. Multiple injuries have been reported.

NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman has designated senior air

safety investigator John Lovell as the U.S. Accredited

Representative. The U.S. team will also include five NTSB

aviation specialists as well as technical advisors from the

Federal Aviation Administration, American Airlines, Boeing

Aircraft Company, and GE Aircraft Engines.

The investigation is being conducted by the government of

Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority

American 331, go-around!!!

not to belittle the event, but I would think that this AC is pretty much toast…the engines are damaged, the fuse is broken into sections, wings damaged, landing gear, etc…other than maybe the interior and the avionics…this would seem to be an expensive event for the airline, no? and being a 800 series, I would think it’s not that old, and not covered it’s ROI for the airline.

EDIT: wow…just found this:

jetphotos.net/census/aircraft2.p … 37NG-29550

the AC just barely made it to it’s 8th aniversary of service…

Pictures here.

i337.photobucket.com/albums/n385 … -KIN01.jpg

i337.photobucket.com/albums/n385 … -KIN02.jpg

i337.photobucket.com/albums/n385 … -KIN03.jpg

i337.photobucket.com/albums/n385 … -KIN05.jpg

i337.photobucket.com/albums/n385 … -KIN08.jpg

i337.photobucket.com/albums/n385 … -KIN06.jpg

i337.photobucket.com/albums/n385 … -KIN10.jpg

i337.photobucket.com/albums/n385 … -KIN07.jpg

After looking at the pictures Frank just posted, I think they’ll have her all fixed up and back in the air to celebrate her 9th annivesary.

Heck yeah, just 2 or 3 thousand rolls of duck tape…

ok, I missed that the vert stab is still usable…maybe even the horizontal stab…but damn! that AC really took a beating!

is that a short runway on top of being wet??? Do any pilots here think this might be pilot error (not trying to be a smart ass), or some equipemnt failure??? too early?

Roughly the right color!

F**ksake, what a mess. Them are some lucky pax, yeahmon.

uh oh!

Looks like Ryanair went Jamaican Bobsledding today as well!!??!

guardian.co.uk/business/2009 … ck-airport