Accidents: AA 1420

One of the last weather-caused airline crashes in the United States was American Airlines Flight 1420 in Little Rock on June 1, 1999. As we mark its 20th anniversary, well tie together some of the radar and thunderstorm skills weve learned in previous articles. Youll also see brand-new radar scans of the storm from modern high-resolution display software-which is far more detailed than that in the NTSB report-and well contemplate what you might see if you encounter a similar storm on modern radar today.

Tim Vasquez

Monday, June 10, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The 1999 American Airlines Flight 1420 crash resulted from the crew's failure to discontinue the approach in severe thunderstorms and critical procedural errors (e.g., un-armed spoilers) exacerbated by fatigue.
Detailed radar analysis of the storm at the time of the crash revealed an outflow-dominant complex with a weak microburst directly over the runway.
The article emphasizes the importance of pilots diligently following procedures, especially when fatigued or in hazardous weather, and understanding advanced radar data to identify complex storm phenomena like bow echoes and microbursts.

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Some of us might find it surprising that 20 years have passed since The Matrix and Britney Spears were cultural sensations. While we might argue that popular culture is trending downhill, U.S. airline safety is steadily improving, in part from over 52 years of collaboration between the NTSB, the FAA, and manufacturers. (Notwithstanding Boeing’s latest, um, adventures.)

One of the last weather-caused airline crashes in the United States was American Airlines Flight 1420 in Little Rock on June 1, 1999. As we mark its 20th anniversary, we’ll tie together some of the radar and thunderstorm skills we’ve learned in previous articles. You’ll also see brand-new radar scans of the storm from modern high-resolution display software—which is far more detailed than that in the NTSB report—and we’ll contemplate what you might see if you encounter a similar storm on modern radar today.