American Airlines Flight 587
American Airlines Flight 587 was a scheduled flight from New York City to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, that tragically crashed shortly after takeoff on November 12, 2001. The flight, which was carrying 251 passengers and nine crew members, took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport but encountered severe turbulence, likely from the wake of a preceding aircraft. The first officer, Sten Molin, struggled to maintain control of the Airbus A300 during this turbulence. Unfortunately, his attempts to stabilize the aircraft using rudder controls led to the separation of the vertical stabilizer, resulting in a catastrophic loss of control and the eventual crash into a residential area in Queens, New York.
All individuals on board were killed, along with five people on the ground. Initially, the incident raised concerns about potential terrorism, given its proximity to the September 11 attacks; however, investigations quickly ruled out foul play. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that pilot error, exacerbated by inadequate training for handling such turbulence, was the accident's primary cause. In response to this tragedy, American Airlines implemented new training protocols for rudder control and ultimately retired the A300 fleet in 2009, marking a significant change in operational safety practices.
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American Airlines Flight 587
The Event: Fatal crash resulting from pilot error and mechanical failure
Date: November 12, 2001
Place: Queens, New York
On November 12, 2001, American Airlines Flight 587 was scheduled to fly from New York City to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, before it crashed shortly after takeoff in the Belle Harbor neighborhood of Queens, New York, killing everyone on board and five others on the ground. The cause of the crash was later ruled to be mechanical failure resulting from pilot error.
American Airlines Flight 587 was an early-morning flight scheduled to depart John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and arrive at Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on November 12, 2001. The flight was commanded by Captain Edward States and First Officer Sten Molin, who was acting as pilot. In addition, there were seven other crew members and 251 passengers on board.
Upon takeoff, the Airbus A300 plane encountered turbulence believed to be the wake of a Japan Airlines plane that had taken off just before Flight 587. First Officer Molin struggled to keep the plane level through the turbulence, but he ultimately lost control, and Flight 587 crashed into a residential section of Belle Harbor.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s official report on the incident, the crash was attributable to Molin’s response to the turbulence. The report states that Molin attempted to compensate for the turbulence by using his rudder controls so aggressively that his actions caused the vertical stabilizer, or tail fin, to separate from the plane. This sent the aircraft out of control and caused both engines to separate prior to impact.
Impact
Because the crash of Flight 587 occurred only two months after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and in the midst of a series of anthrax poisonings in the United States, there was initial speculation that the incident might have been an act of terrorism. Investigators quickly dismissed this possibility, however, as the evidence showed no indication of terrorist activity.
Because the pilot’s rudder control technique was responsible for the accident, American Airlines began a special rudder control training program and, in 2009, the airline retired its A300 fleet.
Bibliography
Airbus. “American Airlines Retires Its A300 fleet.” Airbus. EADS Group, 10 Sept. 2009. Web. 6 Aug. 2012.
Airlines Flight 587 Airbus Industrie A300-605R, N14053, Belle Harbor, New York, November 12, 2001. Washington: National Transportation Safety Board, 26 Oct. 2004. PDF file.
Kleinfield, N. R. “The Crash of Flight 587: The Overview; 260 on Jet Die in Queens Crash; 6 to 9 Missing as 12 Homes Burn; US Doubts Link to Terrorism.” New York Times. New York Times, 13 Nov. 2001. Web. 6 Aug. 2012.
Levin, Alan. “NTSB Blames Pilot Error for Flight 587 Crash.” USA Today. Gannett, 26 Oct. 2004. Web. 6 Aug. 2012.
Miller, Leslie. “Pilot Error Blamed by NTSB for American Airlines Crash That Killed 265 in November 2001.” San Diego Source/The Daily Transcript. San Diego Source/The Daily Transcript, 26 Oct. 2004. Web. 6 Aug. 2012.
National Transportation Safety Board. In-Flight Separation of Vertical Stabilizer American