Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 accident near Cleveland, Ohio, March 6, 1997
On March 6, 1997 at about 1:07 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82, registered N275AA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Hopkins Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 3 people had minor injuries; 106 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot in command did not maintain control while utilizing the full auto-land system. Factors to this accident were a contaminated runway, a crosswind, and inadequate guidance provided in the aircraft manual.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 1997 · about 1:07 am local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Cleveland Hopkins Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries; 106 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82 · all DC-9-82s on the register
- Registration
- N275AA · registry record · serial 49272
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The DC-9 was number 2 for the ILS approach behind a commuter airplane, and was placed in holding while chemicals were applied to the runway due to snow and slush. The DC-9 captain requested a braking action report, which the tower controller relayed to the commuter airplane that had not yet landed. A braking action report was not received prior to the DC-9 landing. The captain elected to continue the approach with full auto-land selected to a contaminated runway, without a braking action report and a crosswind component of 13 knots. On the runway, the auto-pilot responded and attempted to return the airplane to the centerline of the runway. After 18 seconds and with the airplane's nose drifting left, the captain disengaged the auto-pilot, and applied full right rudder and brake to stop the left drift. The DC-9 departed the left side of the paved runway approximately 5,500 feet down the 8,998 foot runway, and facing 80 degrees left of the runway heading. A review of the manual revealed that the operator's flight manual contain no guidance or limitations for pilots regarding the use of full auto land and roll-out on contaminated runways
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,500 hours in all; 4,500 in this make and model; 13,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 37,922 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 149,500 lb
- Seats: 147
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dal/Fort Worth TX at 11:24 pm
- Destination: CLE
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5R, 8,998 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 350° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from CLE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 100 |
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.