What happened
On the night of June 1, 1999, an American Airlines flight arriving from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport experienced a fatal accident at Little Rock National Airport. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) registered as N215AA, touched down on runway 4R at approximately 23:50 CDT. Following the landing, the plane failed to stop within the runway limits and overran the end of the pavement.
As the aircraft exited the runway, it struck several components of the instrument landing system localizer array located roughly 411 feet past the threshold. The plane then breached a chain link security fence and crossed a rock embankment into a floodplain situated about 15 feet below the runway level. During this sequence, the aircraft collided with the support structure for the runway 22L approach lighting system. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. The accident resulted in 11 fatalities, including the captain and 10 passengers, while 106 individuals—comprising the first officer, flight attendants, and various passengers—sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary reason for the accident was the crew's decision to proceed with the approach despite the presence of severe thunderstorms and associated operational hazards at the airport. Additionally, the crew failed to verify that the spoilers had deployed following touchdown.
Several contributing elements were identified during the inquiry:
- The flight crew's performance was compromised by fatigue and the stress of managing the landing in adverse weather.
- The approach was continued even though the wind conditions exceeded the airline's established maximum crosswind limits.
- The use of reverse thrust exceeded 1.3 engine pressure ratio during the landing roll.