Lockheed L-1011-100 accident near Jamaica, New York, August 25, 1996
On August 25, 1996 at about 11:10 am local time, a Lockheed L-1011-100, registered N31031, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jamaica, New York (John F Kennedy airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 262 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the flight crew to complete the published checklist and to adequately cross-check the actions of each other, which resulted in their failure to detect that the leading edge slats had not extended and led to the aircraft's tail contacting the runway during the computer-driven, auto-land flare for landing. Factors related to the accident were: the manufacturer's inadequate inspection procedures for the slat drive system; and the operator's inadequate checklist, which did not include having the flight engineer monitor the double needle slat gauge.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1996 · about 11:10 am local time
- Place
- Jamaica, New York · John F Kennedy · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 262 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Lockheed L-1011-100
- Registration
- N31031 · no longer on the register · serial 193B-1115
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During arrival, the flight (flt) received vectors for ILS runway (rwy) 4R approach (apch). Before reaching final apch fix, visibility went below minimums for rwy 4R, & flt was offered ILS rwy 4L apch, which was still above minimums. Captain accepted, & 1st officer (F/O), who was flying the aircraft (acft), transitioned to 4L. On final apch, acft passed thru 500' AGL at 151 KCAS with throttles near idle. It continued decelerating to reference landing speed. During computer-driven, auto-land flare, acft nose rotated up, & acft's tail struck rwy. The operator's (oper's) procedures required mandatory go-around unless apch was stabilized at 500'. The crew reported all checklists had been completed; however, apch charts for rwy 4L were not reviewed, required call outs were not remembered as given by all crewmembers, & altimeter bugs remained set for runway 4R. DFDR data revealed the wing leading edge slats had not extended with the flaps. A green light on the pilot's instrument panel & 14 green lights & a gauge on the flt engineer's (F/E's) panel were not used to verify slat extension. Oper's expanded landing checklist did not require F/E to use gauge to verify slat extension. Oper's manuals did not list possibility of a "slat lock," which would not activate any warning lights or aural warnings. Maintenance records revealed slats had locked 12 times in preceding 2 yrs. Inspection methods provided by Lockheed & adopted by the oper, did not adequately specify how to check slat drive system for slack.
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 engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,643 hours in all; 1,267 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 4,855 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,425 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 15, 1996; 559 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 466,000 lb
- Seats: 269
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB211-22B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 7:10 am
- Destination: JFK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4L, 11,351 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 151°F (66°C), dew point 151°F (66°C)
- Observation at 10:58 am from JFK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 12 | |||
| Passengers | 250 |
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 N31031 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.