McDonnell Douglas MD-80 N491AA
27 July 1991 · Dfw Airport, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 27 July 1991 at about 20:10 local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 registered N491AA, operated by American Airlines, was involved in an accident near Dfw Airport, Texas, United States. 132 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Dfw Airport, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Dallas Fort Worth (DFW)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas MD-80
- Registration
- N491AA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- American Airlines
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Oklahoma City
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW91LA137
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 132 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 132 |
Probable cause
THE CAPTAIN MISJUDGED CLEARANCE BETWEEN HIS AIRCRAFT AND THE STANDING COMMUTER AIRPLANE. A FACTOR WAS THE FAILURE OF THE SECOND PILOT TO IDENTIFY A HYDROPLANE CONDITION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
TWO COMMUTER AIRCRAFT WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI ON TAXIWAY F, TURN RIGHT INTO TAXIWAY 32, AND HOLD FOR DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 36R. THEY WERE FOLLOWED BY THE MD-80 WHICH REMAINED ON TAXIWAY F AND WAS CLEARED TO TAXI PAST AND BEHIND THE COMMUTERS. THE PILOT OF THE MD-80 ATTEMPTED TO TAXI BY THE STANDING AIRCRAFT. THE RIGHT WING TIP OF THE MD-80 STRUCK THE TAIL CONE AREA OF THE STANDING COMMUTER AIRPLANE. THE FIRST OFFICER OF THE MD-80 STATED HE AND HIS CAPTAIN WERE BUSY IN THE COCKPIT WHEN THE IMPACT OCCURRED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas MD-80 MD-80 | N491AA | American Airlines | Minor |
| British J-3100 J-3100 | N405AE | Metro Airlines | Substantial |
Other McDonnell Douglas MD-80 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Oct 1991 | McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | American Airlines, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Sep 1989 | McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | American Airlines | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 1989 | McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | American Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 29 May 1989 | McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | Denver, Colorado, United States | Continental Airlines | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 1987 | McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | American Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 1987 | McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | Denver, Colorado, United States | Continental Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jul 1991 | Beechcraft BE-19 | Mesquite, Texas, United States | ARI BEN Aviator | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1991 | Robinson R22 BETA | Wylie, Texas, United States | Heli TEX Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Cessna 150A | Jewett, Texas, United States | Jack R. Horan | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 1991 | Beechcraft K35 | Laredo, Texas, United States | DAN R. Blaker | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Cessna 172F | Cumby, Texas, United States | Charles D. Wood | No injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 1991 | Beechcraft A23-24 | Tomball, Texas, United States | Horizon Aviation | Minor injuries | - |