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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.

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NTSB Report

October 28, 2016 · Boeing 767 323 · N345AN

Chicago, IL

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
October 28, 2016
Injury Outcomes
21 injuries (1 serious injury, 20 minor injuries), 149 uninjured
Location
Chicago, IL
Aircraft
Boeing 767 323 (2003)
Tail Number
N345AN
Operator
American Airlines
Injuries
Serious
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
DCA17FA021

NTSB investigators traveled in support of this investigation and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report. The NTSB's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-18/01. On October 28, 2016, about 1432 central daylight time, American Airlines flight 383, a Boeing 767-323, N345AN, had started its takeoff ground roll at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, when an uncontained engine failure in the right engine and subsequent fire occurred. The flight crew aborted the takeoff and stopped the airplane on the runway, and the flight attendants initiated an emergency evacuation. Of the 2 flight crewmembers, 7 flight attendants, and 161 passengers on board, 1 passenger received a serious injury and 1 flight attendant and 19 passengers received minor injuries during the evacuation. The airplane was substantially damaged from the fire. The airplane was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause

The failure of the high-pressure turbine (HPT) stage 2 disk, which severed the main engine fuel feed line and breached the right main wing fuel tank, releasing fuel that resulted in a fire on the right side of the airplane during the takeoff roll. The HPT stage 2 disk failed because of low-cycle fatigue cracks that initiated from an internal subsurface manufacturing anomaly that was most likely not detectable during production inspections and subsequent in service inspections using the procedures in place. Contributing to the serious passenger injury was (1) the delay in shutting down the left engine and (2) a flight attendant's deviation from company procedures, which resulted in passengers evacuating from the left overwing exit while the left engine was still operating. Contributing to the delay in shutting down the left engine was (1) the lack of a separate checklist procedure for Boeing 767 airplanes that specifically addressed engine fires on the ground and (2) the lack of communication between the flight and cabin crews after the airplane came to a stop.

Full Narrative

The NTSB's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-18/01. On October 28, 2016, about 1432 central daylight time, American Airlines flight 383, a Boeing 767-323, N345AN, had started its takeoff ground roll at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, when an uncontained engine failure in the right engine and subsequent fire occurred. The flight crew aborted the takeoff and stopped the airplane on the runway, and the flight attendants initiated an emergency evacuation. Of the 2 flight crewmembers, 7 flight attendants, and 161 passengers on board, 1 passenger received a serious injury and 1 flight attendant and 19 passengers received minor injuries during the evacuation. The airplane was substantially damaged from the fire. The airplane was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Nearest AirportChicago O'Hare International A (0nm)
Runway28R
Runway Length13000 ft
Runway Width150 ft
Flight Plan FiledIFR
Flight Plan ActivatedYes
Aircraft FireGrd
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftBoeing 767 323
Tail NumberN345AN
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorAmerican Airlines
Operating RulePart 121
Engines2
Engine TypeTurbofan
Engine DetailsGeneral Electric · CF6-80C2 B6 · Turbofan | General Electric · CF6-80C2 B6 · Turbofan
Seats220

People & Injuries

Injury Summary21 injuries (1 serious injury, 20 minor injuries), 149 uninjured
Fatal0
Serious1
Minor20
Uninjured149
Total170
Crew 1Age 61 · First Class · None
Crew 2Age 57 · First Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind180° @ 11 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingOvercast 25000 ft
Temperature / Dew Point61 F / 52
Altimeter30.04 inHg
Observation Time19:51

Appendix: Source Data