McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) N454AA

Summary

On 28 September 2007 at about 18:16 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) registered N454AA, operated by American Airlines, was involved in an accident near St. Louis, Missouri, United States. 143 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 September 2007 at 18:16

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

Lambert-St. Louis Int Airport (STL)

Coordinates

38.7486, -90.3669

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82)

Registration

N454AA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

American Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St Louis → Chicago

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

NTSB number

DCA07MA310

Nobody was injured.

American Airlines’ maintenance personnel’s use of an inappropriate manual engine start procedure, which led to the uncommanded opening of the left engine air turbine starter valve, and a subsequent left engine fire, which was prolonged by the flight crew’s interruption of an emergency checklist to perform nonessential tasks. Contributing to the accident were deficiencies in American Airlines’ Continuing Analysis and Surveillance System program.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-09-03. On September 28, 2007, about 1313 central daylight time, American Airlines flight 1400, a McDonnell Douglas DC 9 82, N454AA, experienced an in flight left engine fire during departure climb from Lambert St. Louis International Airport (STL), St. Louis, Missouri. During the return to STL, the nose landing gear failed to extend, and the flight crew executed a go around, during which the crew extended the nose gear using the emergency procedure. The flight crew conducted an emergency landing, and the 2 flight crewmembers, 3 flight attendants, and 138 passengers deplaned on the runway. No occupant injuries were reported, but the airplane sustained substantial damage due to the fire. The scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 on an instrument flight rules flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.