Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) incident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, June 5, 1996
On June 5, 1996 at about 11:03 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), registered N224AA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Albuquerque, New Mexico (Albuquerque International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 5 people had minor injuries; 141 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flightcrew's inadvertent encounter with windshear at low altitude. Factors were: variable winds, high density altitude, and the FAA's inadequate location/height of the LLWAS sensor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 1996 · about 11:03 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · Albuquerque International
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 5 people had minor injuries; 141 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) DC-9-82 (M · all DC-9-82 (MD-82)s on the register
- Registration
- N224AA · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flightcrew initiated windshear recovery procedures during the final landing phase when they detected a 30 knot loss of airspeed and received a cockpit warning; however, the airplane continued descending and the plane's tail collided with the runway. The functioning North sensor low level windshear alert system (LLWAS) did not detect and/or advise of a windshear condition. The location and height of the sensor did not conform to FAA guidelines. The temperature/dew point spread was 81 degrees F. and the density altitude was 8,900 feet. The reported winds were from 270 degrees at 12 knots. The flightcrew was monitoring the tower frequency as directed when approach control received a windshear pilot information report (PIREP). Air traffic control (ATC) policy does not require the PIREP to be passed to the tower controller. The PIREP was not received by the crew. The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) revealed that at a speed of 150 knots and the radar altimeter at 152.7 feet, the longitudinal acceleration decreased from 0.010 to -0.049 (radar altimeter 134.3 feet) and the engine N1's decreased from 62.1% N1 to 43.8%. Within the next 5 seconds, the airspeed decreased to 134.3 knots (radar altimeter 41.7 feet) and the pitch attitude increased to 3.2 degrees and N1 to 70.95%. Two seconds later, the airplane collided with the runway as the airspeed decreased to 122 knots (radar altimeter 8.6 feet) with the pitch attitude at 7 degrees and N1 at 89.8%.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,002 hours in all; 3,725 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 39,709 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 4, 1996; 10 hours since
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-217A (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dfw Airport TX at 9:29 pm
- Destination: ABQ NM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 16 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:05 pm from ABQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | 5 | ||
| Passengers | 3 | 136 |
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 N224AA 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.