Accident · 2005-09-18

NTSB case DCA05MA099 · Airbus A321-231 · Part 121

What the record says

Event date: 2005-09-18
Event type: Accident
Highest injury level: No injuries
Aircraft: Airbus A321-231 (N583NK)
Operating rule: Part 121
Operator: SPIRIT AIRLINES, LLC Operator named in NTSB report
Operated by (per NTSB report): SPIRIT AIRLINES INC

Probable cause

Following a bounced landing, the pilot in command activated his sidestick controller while the first officer was in control of the airplane, which subsequently resulted in the overcontrol of pitch and a tailstrike. Contributing to the circumstances of this accident were the pilot-in-command's failure to properly activate his sidestick takeover push button prior to his remedial action, and the operator's insufficient emphasis on bounced landing recovery techniques and tailstrike avoidance procedures.

Source: NTSB case DCA05MA099

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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