Medwin
22nd Nov 2004, 23:21
American Airlines jet lands short of runway at DIA
DENVER - An American Airlines jet sustained tire and engine damage, and destroyed signs and lights at Denver International Airport Sunday when it landed 1000 feet short of its intended runway and came down on an asphalt extension to the runway instead. The jet sustained tire and engine damage, and destroyed signs and lights in the rough landing Sunday.
Fortunately no one on board was injured, and the airplane managed to taxi to the gate safely.
"This could have been a more catastrophic accident at some airport other than DIA" said former National Transportation Safety Board investigator Greg Feith, referring the long extensions to DIA's runways that don't exist at many other major airports.
Flight 115 from Dallas was coming in for landing around 10:30 am, and was using instruments to help with landing according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The airplane is a Boeing MD-80, the most common type of aircraft in the American Airlines fleet.
That runway, known as 35-L, was closed for most of the day Sunday as investigators from the NTSB worked to determine the cause of the accident. The runway is reopened Monday.
The FAA and NTSB are both investigating the crash.
American Airlines did not return a phone call from 9news
Astra driver
23rd Nov 2004, 16:55
I just got this off the NTSB site;
FrNTSB Identification: DEN05IA027
Scheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of CIT Leasing Corp. (D.B.A. American Airlines)
Incident occurred Sunday, November 21, 2004 in Denver, CO
Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, registration: N234AA
Injuries: 106 Uninjured.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On November 21, 2004, at 1038 mountain standard time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, N234AA, operating as American Airlines Flight 1115, sustained minor damage when during landing at the Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado, the airplane struck several approach and runway threshold lights. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The scheduled domestic passenger flight was being conducted on an instrument flight rules flight plan under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121. The captain, first officer, 3 flight attendants, and 101 passengers on board reported no injuries. The flight originated at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Ft. Worth, Texas, at 1004 central standard time, and was en route to DEN.
The captain reported that the first officer was flying the airplane. Approach control vectored the airplane on to a short approach to runway 35L. The airplane overshot the localizer. The first officer was chasing the glide slope. Approach control asked American Airlines Flight 1115 if they wanted to go-around. The captain said that they (the crew) could take the approach. The first officer intercepted the glide slope at 500 to 600 feet above ground level (agl). The captain announced at 100 feet agl that he had the runway environment in sight. The first officer then looked outside and began flying a visual approach. The captain said there was sufficient runway environment in sight. The captain said the first officer did not see the PAPIs (Precision Approach Path Indicator lights). At 50 to 75 feet agl, the first officer "dipped below the glide slope." The audible warning alarm sounded. The captain called for a go-around. The first officer attempted to go-around, but did not advance the throttles in time. The airplane "landed firm" but the crew noticed nothing wrong with the airplane. The crew taxied the airplane to the gate. When they got to the gate they noticed the hydraulic quantity indicator was low, but the pressure was normal.
At 1046, the weather at DEN was 100 broken, 1/2 mile visibility with freezing fog, temperature was 27 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 28 degrees F, winds 320 degrees at 8 knots, altimeter 30.13 inched, and remarks "surface visibility 1/2 mile, visibility north through east 2 mile, ceiling 100 feet broken varies overcast."
The National Transportation Safety Board arrived on scene at 1300.
An examination of runway 35L showed one approach light, 19 feet from the beginning of the paved overrun, broken forward at its base. Approximately 49 feet from the start of the paved overrun surface, the beginning of 2 pairs of parallel-running tire marks were observed. The left pair of tire marks ran through 3 sets of center approach lights in the overrun, 2 runway threshold lights, a distance of 354 feet, and continued down runway 35L for approximately 700 feet. Light stanchions, broken lens pieces, and bulb debris was observed extending down the runway along the tire marks.
An examination of the airplane showed damage to the left main landing gear tire and brake lines, dents and scraped in the bottom left aft fuselage, chips in the aft bottom radio antennae, and cracks and puncture damage to the bottom of the left engine cowling. There was puncture damage to the inside of the left engine cowling, just forward of the stator vanes to the engine's compressor section. Several of the engine's compressor blades showed dents and scrapes. A ground check of the airplane's avionic system revealed no anomalies.
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