Airbus A321-231 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, September 18, 2005
On September 18, 2005 at about 10:12 pm local time, a Airbus A321-231, registered N583NK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Hollywood Intl Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 197 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Following a bounced landing, the pilot in command activated his sidestick controller while the first officer was in control of the airplane, which subsequently resulted in the overcontrol of pitch and a tailstrike. Contributing to the circumstances of this accident were the pilot-in-command's failure to properly activate his sidestick takeover push button prior to his remedial action, and the operator's insufficient emphasis on bounced landing recovery techniques and tailstrike avoidance procedures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2005 · about 10:12 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Hollywood Intl Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 197 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus A321-231 · all A321-231s on the register
- Registration
- N583NK · no longer on the register · serial 1195
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Upon landing, an Airbus A321, experienced a tail strike upon landing. The First Officer (FO) stated that over the threshold at an altitude of about 50 feet, "it just literally felt like we lost inertia." The Captain believed that the flare was initiated too late and was incomplete. The FO stated that before touchdown, he lowered the nose a little bit and the aircraft touched down firmly. The aircraft bounced and the FO believed he again lowered the nose to prevent a tail strike. The Captain remembered that as the nose of the aircraft was lowering prior to the second touchdown, he may have pulled back on his side stick controller slightly to prevent the nose gear from striking the runway at too great a speed. After the aircraft touched down a second time the tailstrike occurred. Information extracted from the aircraft's flight data recorder revealed that both side stick controllers were activated simultaneously during the tailstrike. According to the manufacturer, when both side stick controllers are activated simultaneously (at least 2 degrees deflection off the neutral position) in the same or opposite directions and neither pilot takes priority via the takeover push button, the system adds the signals of both pilots algebraically. Airbus had issued Flight Crew Operating bulletins concerning bounced landings and tailstrikes but the pilots stated that no classroom or simulator training was received to reinforce the meaning and contents of the bulletins.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 13,026 hours in all; 565 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 84 in the last 30 days; 7,323 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,473 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 196,210 lb
- Seats: 198
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: International Aero Engines V2533-A5 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Spirit Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: KLGA New York NY at 7:18 pm
- Destination: KFLL Fort Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9L, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KFLL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 191 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.