Dallas – Little Rock

On June 1, 1999 at 11:50 PM, Dallas – Little Rock experienced a crash involving McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operated by American Airlines, with the event recorded near Little Rock-Bill & Hillary Clinton Arkansas.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

145 people were known to be on board, 11 fatalities were recorded, 134 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 7.6%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 139, passenger fatalities: 10, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. On June 1, 1999, at 2350:44 central daylight time, American Airlines flight 1420, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), N215AA, crashed after it overran the end of runway 4R during landing at Little Rock National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas. Flight 1420 departed from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, about 2240 with 2 flight crewmembers, 4 flight attendants, and 139 passengers aboard and touched down in Little Rock at 2350:20. After departing the end of the runway, the airplane struck several tubes extending outward from the left edge of the instrument landing system localizer array, located 411 feet beyond the end of the runway; passed through a chain link security fence and over a rock embankment to a flood plain, located approximately 15 feet below the runway elevation; and collided with the structure supporting the runway 22L approach lighting system. The captain and 10 passengers were killed; the first officer, the flight attendants, and 105 passengers received serious or minor injuries; and 24 passengers were not injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. Flight 1420 was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 on an instrument flight rules flight plan.

Aircraft reference details include registration N215AA, MSN 49163, year of manufacture 1983.