Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80 accident near Jamaica, New York, October 29, 1996
On October 29, 1996 at about 3:31 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80, registered N244AA, suffered minor damage in an accident near Jamaica, New York (John F. Kennedy Intl Apt airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 90 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the nose landing gear upper lock link.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 1996 · about 3:31 am local time
- Place
- Jamaica, New York · John F. Kennedy Intl Apt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 90 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80
- Registration
- N244AA · registry record · serial 49256
- 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 flight was inbound to land, when the flight crew observed an unsafe nose gear indication. The crew was unable to confirm that the gear was down, and diverted to Runway 31R at JFK. The airplane landed on the runway, with the nose gear retracted, and an emergency evacuation was performed. Examination of the wreckage revealed the nose landing gear upper lock link was fractured into two pieces. The linkage jammed against the shock strut structure, preventing extension of the strut. According to the airplane manufacturer, the nose landing gear upper lock link failed due to fatigue. It was made from aluminum plating. Originally, all the links were made from forged aluminum. Then, the company used plated aluminum because it weighed less. Although both types of lock links were of the same strength, the aluminum plating fatigued sooner than the forged links. After the accident, the company replaced all aluminum plated upper lock links with forged ones.
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: 4,895 hours in all; 3,816 in this make and model; 132 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 2,502 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 150,500 lb
- Seats: 146
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines, INC
The flight
- Departed from: ORD Chicago IL
- Destination: LGA Flushing NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31R, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 320° at 19 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 am from JFK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 | 85 |
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 N244AA 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.