Airbus Industrie A-300 accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 12, 1989
On July 12, 1989 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Airbus Industrie A-300, registered N7062A, was involved in an accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico (Luis M Morin airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 244 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE RAMP GUIDE (GROUND PERSONNEL) TO FOLLOW NORMAL SAFETY PROCEDURES. HIS OVER CONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 1989 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan, Puerto Rico · Luis M Morin
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 244 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A-300 A300 · all A-300s on the register
- Registration
- N7062A · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRBUS A300 (AMERICAN FLT 699) WAS BEING PUSHED BACK BY A RAMP CREW IN PREPARATION FOR A SCHEDULED INTL PASSENGER FLT. WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY OBSERVED THE RAMP GUIDE (WHO WAS USING THE GROUND-TO-COCKPIT MICROPHONE) WALK BEHIND THE NOSE GEAR AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE THE ACDNT OCCURRED. SUBSEQUENTLY, AS HE WAS WALKING BEHIND THE NOSE GEAR AGAIN, HE STUMBLED & THE NOSE GEAR TIRES ROLLED OVER HIS UPPER BODY, WHICH RESULTED IN CRUSHING THORACIC INJURIES. RECORDS SHOWED THAT THE RAMP GUIDE HAD RCVD SAFETY TRAINING & WAS QUALIFIED FOR THE DUTIES THAT HE WAS PERFORMING.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 29,600 hours in all; 685 in this make and model; 235 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 380,500 lb
- Seats: 267
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SJU Sun Juan PR
- Destination: MDSD Santo Domingo OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:40 pm from SJU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 9 | |||
| Passengers | 235 |
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.