N.Y. Jet Crash Inquiry Looks at ’97 Incident
Investigators probing the crash of an American Airlines jetliner last year in New York are looking closely at a similar 1997 incident, officials said.
Airbus and American plan to remove the tail fin, or vertical stabilizer, of an A300-600 to see if the component was damaged when it likely endured stresses similar to those in that preceded the crash of Flight 587 on Nov. 12, killing all 260 people on board and five on the ground.
That aircraft plunged into a residential area after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport. Investigators believe the tail fin and rudder broke off as the plane neared 300 mph, causing it to crash.
Those components were recovered from Jamaica Bay and have been at the center of the investigation.
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