Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Aviation American Airlines Flight 1420 American Airlines Flight 1420 American Airlines flight 1420 crashed in Little Rock, Arkansas. The crash killed 11 people, after running off the runway and impacting an approach lighting structure. The causes of the crash are still being investigated but the likely causes include the plane touching down 2000 feet passed the runway threshold, the rapidly deteriorating weather, and a fatigued flight crew. The American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82 carrying 143 passengers attempted a landing in fierce winds just shy of midnight on June 2, 1999. As the flight was en-route to Little Rock the Air Traffic Control (ATC) facility at the Little Rock Airport reported to the pilots that a thunderstorm had moved into the area with strong wind gusts. Despite these reports the flight crew decided to continue on. While the plane was on final, ATC informed the crew of rapidly deteriorating weather and two wind shear alerts. The co-pilot said that they had sight of the runway the entire time they were on final; he said it was like “a bowling alley effect” (Lunsford 1) where they were able to see between the clouds. As the plane touched down things started to go wrong. Immediately after touching down the plane started hydroplaning down the runway. The crew did not feel the typical deceleration forces that are normally associated with the reverse thrusters that are used when landing. With the strong wind on the field the plane started to yaw to the right due to a strong crosswind. After the plane traveled down the remaining 5,000 feet of runway it careened down an embankment and struck an approach lighting structure. The plane then reportedly filled with thick smoke with flames shooting from the rear of the plane. The passengers struggled to get though either the emergency exits or through holes in fuselage that were torn open due to the crash. The rescue effort was also slowed due to power outages on the field. The bay doors for the rescue vehicles needed to be open manually slowing the rescue crews from getting to the plane. Overall a total of 11 people died including Captain Richard W. Bushmann, a 20-year veteran with American Airlines. 83 of the 143 passengers were injured. The fatigue of the flight crew may have played a major role in the crash. The flight crew was just coming off a 13˝ hours shift, which is just shy of the 14-hour limit that has been set in place by the FAA. The fatigue of the flight crew could have seriously hampered their decision-making ability. The pilots of the flight were informed many times of the impending weather hazards. In fact the flight crew were informed of two wind shear alerts as the plane was on final approach. These alerts alone should have indicated to the pilots to terminate the approach and to land at an alternate airport where the weather was not as severe. Due to the amount of time they were in the air that and their anticipation to land the plane may have caused them to take unnecessary risks, putting everyone onboard in jeopardy. I believe not only did the weather play a direct role in the accident; it also may have caused the pilots to forget certain steps necessary to bring the plane safely to the ground. A good example of this is the spoilers on the topside of the wing that are used to help slow the plane down and plant the plane firmly on the runway, were never extended during the landing of the plane. It was determined in the investigation the spoilers were never extended. The spoilers are normally armed in the pre-landing checklist, so that when the wheels touchdown on the runway and begin to spin the spoilers are deployed to plant the plane on the runway. On the cockpit voice recorder there was no mention of arming the spoilers, which suggests that neither pilot in the pre-landing checklist armed them. Investigators are also looking at the possibility that the use of the reverse thrusters aided in the plane swerving to the side. When the reverse thrusters are used it decreases the efficiency of the rudder, giving aid to the winds’ effects. As the co-pilot reported, the captain engaged the reverse thrusters and then disengaged them to try to regain control of the plane. Only when he accomplished that, he reengaged the thrusters to try to slow the plane down enough to stop it safely. As of right now there may not be anything that can be done about the reverse thrusters stealing efficiency from the rudder, but it is an issue that may be able to be incorporated into future planes so that there is more that can be done in an emergency like this one. In conclusion, I believe not one thing but several things, fatigue of the crew, severe weather, and failure to arm the spoilers caused this plane to leave the runway and crash into the lighting system structure. One thing that could have obviously prevented was the fatigue of the pilots. If the crew was not as fatigued, as they were, they may not have been so anxious to get on the ground. They would have realized that the right choice was to abort the approach and fly to an alternate airport where the weather would have been much more favorable to land in. Also the fact that the crew was fatigued may have been the reason that the spoilers were never armed to be deployed as the plane touched down. My hope is that from the results of this accident new regulations will be set in place so that other accidents similar to this one can be prevented and there will be no more loss of life due to something that should most defiantly not happen in the first place. Bibliography: Works Cited Lunsford, J. Lynn. “Co-Pilot Recalls Different Scenario.” Washington Post.Com. 5 June 1999. . Duggan, Paul. “Plane Crashes in Storm, Killing Nine.” Washington Post. Com. 3 June 1999. . Phillips, Don. “Weather Played Part in Plane Crash.” Washington Post. Com. 4 June 1999. . Public Hearings. 26-29 Jan. 2000. The National Transportation Safety Board. . Word Count: 1006
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