What happened
On the evening of the accident, American Airlines Flight 383, operated by a Boeing 727 with registration N1996, departed New York-LaGuardia Airport for Greater Cincinnati Airport. The flight was conducted under instrument flight rules with an intended cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. The journey proceeded without incident until the aircraft approached its destination.
As the aircraft neared Cincinnati, it was under the supervision of Cincinnati Approach Control. At approximately 18:57, the crew requested a visual approach. The controller subsequently cleared the flight for a visual approach to runway one eight and authorized a descent to 2,000 feet at the crew's discretion. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft was instructed to contact the tower frequency.
During the final stages of the approach, weather conditions began to decline as rainfall commenced. While the tower controller notified the crew of the increasing rain, the flight continued its descent. Data indicates that thirteen seconds prior to the accident, the aircraft was descending at 2,100 feet per minute and was already below the published field elevation. As the plane neared the ground, the descent rate slowed slightly, but the aircraft's altitude remained significantly below the airport's elevation.
The right wing of the aircraft made contact with a tree at an altitude of 665 feet MSL. Following this impact, the aircraft slid 340 feet through dense vegetation and foliage before coming to a stop among larger trees. A massive fire broke out upon impact, consuming the forward section of the fuselage. The accident resulted in 59 fatalities and 4 survivors.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the primary factor in the crash was the failure of the crew to properly monitor altimeters while conducting a visual approach as visibility conditions worsened due to rain.