Incident · 1989-08-31

NTSB case CHI89IA180 · MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-80 · Part 91

What the record says

Event date: 1989-08-31
Event type: Incident
Highest injury level: No injuries
Aircraft: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-80 (N490AA)
Operating rule: Part 91
Operator: AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC. Operator named in NTSB report
Operated by (per NTSB report): AMERICAN AIRLINES

Probable cause

THE FAILURE OF THE CONTROLLER TO CLARIFY THE CONFUSING COMMUNICATIONS, TO CORRECT THE PILOT'S MISINTERPRETATION OF THE INSTRUCTIONS BEING GIVEN, AND THE FAILURE OF THE SUPERVISOR TO PROPERLY MONITOR THE SITUATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S MISINTERPRETATION OF THE CLEARANCE, THE CONTROLLERS EXPECTANCY AND AURAL PERCEPTION OF THE COMMUNICATIONS.

Source: NTSB case CHI89IA180

Flight crew

Flight-crew details for this event aren't in the NTSB database extract we hold (its coverage starts with 2008 events) — a gap in our data, not an absence of crew.

Facts as the NTSB records them — GroundCheck adds no judgement. Preliminary records may be revised as the investigation proceeds.

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