NTSB Issues Probable Cause Report on Executive Airlines Accident

Source: NTSB

Washington, DC -- The National Transportation Safety Board determined today that the probable cause of the May 9, 2004 accident involving Executive Airlines, that crashed while landing at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport San Juan, Puerto Rico, was the captain's failure to execute proper techniques to recover from bounced landings and his subsequent failure to execute a go-around.

As a result of the accident, the Safety Board recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration require all airlines to incorporate bounced landing recovery techniques
in their flight manuals and teach these techniques during initial and recurrent training.

On May 9, 2004, Executive Airlines, flight 5401, was doing business as an American Eagle flight from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to San Juan, Puerto Rico. During the landing, the airplane bounced twice before coming to a complete stop on a grassy area about 217 feet from the runway 's centerline and about 4,317 feet beyond the runway. The captain was seriously injured. The first officer, 2 flight attendants, and 16 of the 22 passengers received minor injuries. Damage to the aircraft was substantial.

During its investigation, the Safety Board also learned that the left aileron surface position data recorded by the accident airplane's flight data recorder was invalid even though the aircraft was modified on August 7, 2001 with position sensors and associated hardware required by a supplemental type certificate (STC).

The Safety Board issued two recommendations to the FAA that would require replacement of aileron sensors installed in accordance with the STC (ST01310NY) and call for a review of all FDR systems that have been modified by a STC to ensure that the sensors provide reliable data.