BOEING 757 223
Miami, FL — September 16, 2014
Event Information
| Date | September 16, 2014 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | DCA14CA161 |
| Event ID | 20140918X21722 |
| Location | Miami, FL |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 25.76583, -80.21889 |
| Airport | MIAMI INTL |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | BOEING |
| Model | 757 223 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 121 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | NITE |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 172 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The failure of the first officer to control the airplane pitch after touchdown. Contributing to the accident was the first officers inexperience in the aircraft type.
Full Narrative
On September 15, 2014, at about 2027 eastern daylight time, American Airlines flight 2404, a B757-200, N654A, experienced a tail strike during landing at Miami International Airport (KMIA), Miami, Florida. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the aft pressure bulkhead and there were no injuries to the 172 passengers and crew onboard. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (KSJU), San Juan, Puerto Rico to KMIA.
According to the operator, the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying and the captain was the pilot monitoring and was initial operating experience (IOE) training for the FO. The flight crew reported that they had the ILS tuned and the approach was stabilized. They reported that the main gear touchdown was smooth but that the nose came up rapidly before the captain could make the "deployed" call for the spoilers. The captain reportedly quickly grabbed the yoke and lowered the nose to the ground. Postflight maintenance inspection found damage to the aft fuselage skin and substantial damage to the aft pressure bulkhead.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.