Boeing 757-223 incident near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, December 29, 2010
On December 29, 2010 at about 6:38 pm local time, a Boeing 757-223, registered N668AA, was involved in an incident during landing (landing roll) near Jackson Hole, Wyoming (Jackson Hole Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 189 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a manufacturing defect in a clutch mechanism that prevented the speedbrakes from automatically deploying after touchdown, and the captain’s failure to monitor and extend the speedbrakes manually. Also causal was the failure of the thrust reversers to deploy when initially commanded. Contributing to the incident was the captain’s failure to confirm speedbrake extension before announcing their deployment, and his distraction caused by the thrust reversers’ failure to initially deploy after landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2010 · about 6:38 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson Hole, Wyoming · Jackson Hole Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 189 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-223 · all 757-223s on the register
- Registration
- N668AA · no longer on the register · serial 25333
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The National Transportation Safety Board’s full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-12/01. On December 29, 2010, about 1138 mountain standard time, American Airlines flight 2253, a Boeing 757-200, N668AA, ran off the departure end of runway 19 after landing at Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The airplane came to rest about 730 feet past the departure end of the runway in deep snow. The 179 passengers, 2 pilots, and 4 flight attendants on board were not injured, and the airplane sustained minor damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by American Airlines as a scheduled domestic flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121. Instrument meteorological conditions in light snow prevailed at JAC at the time of the landing, and the flight operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois, about 0941 central standard time.
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
What happened, in order
- Flight control sys malf/fail during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Drag control system › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine exhaust › Thrust reverser › Malfunction
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
- Organizational issues › Development › Manufacture/production › Equipment manufacture › Manufacturer
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,645 hours in all; 10,779 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 14, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,800 hours in all; 3,582 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 15, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 178
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: ORD Chicago IL
- Destination: JAC Jackson Hole WY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 6,300 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:43 pm from JAC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| LapC | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 179 |
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.