Boeing 757 accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 31, 2018
On July 31, 2018 at about 5:15 pm local time, a 2001 Boeing 757, registered N192AN, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Int'L airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 181 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The captain's improper control of the airplane during the landing flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2018 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Philadelphia Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 181 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757 223, built 2001 · all 757s on the register
- Registration
- N192AN · no longer on the register · serial 32386
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 31, 2018, about 1315 eastern daylight time, American Airlines flight 89, a Boeing 757-223, N192AN, experienced a hard landing at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There were no injuries to the 181 passengers and crew onboard. The airplane was substantially damaged. The regularly scheduled international passenger flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Shannon International Airport (SNN), Shannon, Ireland, to PHL. The captain was the pilot flying and the first officer was the pilot monitoring. The flight crew stated that the ILS 09R approach was normal and the airplane landed in the touchdown zone. The captain stated that as the airplane touched down the nose pitched up abruptly when the spoilers auto-deployed but that he quickly countered the pitch up and flew the nose back on to the runway. As the flight was taxiing to the gate a flight attendant called on the interphone to inform the crew that they had heard an unusual noise during landing. At the time of landing, the winds were reported to be from 130 degrees at 5 knots, with no gusts. Postflight examination of the airplane found that the aft pressure bulkhead was buckled. The skin was worn through around Station (STA) 1720 to the pressure bulkhead, and the skin was wrinkled from STA 1701 to STA 1743 and Stringer 23L to 23R.
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
- Tailstrike during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,181 hours in all; 2,514 in this make and model; 123 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 11,567 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 15, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,598 hours in all; 3,327 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 60,494 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 30, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 228,178 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royce (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royce (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SNN Shannon OF at 4:11 pm
- Destination: KPHL Philadelphia PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9R, 12,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:54 pm from PHL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 6 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 173 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.