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:

American Airlines Flight 1420 crashed in 1999 due to a confluence of severe weather (including a microburst and strong crosswinds), crew fatigue, and procedural failures, specifically neglecting the pre-landing checklist which led to critical misconfigurations.
Detailed meteorological analysis of the storm, using modern radar products like reflectivity, velocity, and spectrum width, revealed an outflow-dominant storm complex and a weak microburst over the runway, explaining the extremely challenging landing conditions.
The incident serves as a crucial lesson for pilots, highlighting the paramount importance of strict adherence to procedures, vigilant awareness of hazardous weather, effective fatigue management, and the use of all available radar information to maintain aviation safety.

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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.