Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) accident near St. Louis, Missouri, September 28, 2007
On September 28, 2007 at about 6:16 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), registered N454AA, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Louis, Missouri (Lambert-St. Louis Int Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 143 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2007 · about 6:16 pm local time
- Place
- St. Louis, Missouri · Lambert-St. Louis Int Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 143 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) · all DC-9-82 (MD-82)s on the register
- Registration
- N454AA · registry record · serial 49559
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 3,004 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 69 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 16, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 883 in this make and model; 127 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command; 4,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 19, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 57,746 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 22, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 150,500 lb
- Seats: 146
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Pratt And Whitney JT8D-200 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt And Whitney JT8D-200 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: STL St Louis MO at 6:16 pm
- Destination: ORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 30L, 11,019 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 12:51 pm from STL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 138 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N454AA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.