Investigation brief · generated 2026-10-09 · source: NTSB public docket and accident database
BOEING 757 223 — Miami, FL, USA, 2014-09-16
NTSB number
DCA14CA161
Operator
AMERICAN AIRLINES INC
Registration
N654A
Highest injury
No injury
Regulation
Part 121
Damage
Substantial
Cohort
Part 121 airline
Recorder data
Tier 1 — decoded recorder tables
Every sentence below is taken directly from NTSB records — the accident database, the docket's recorder reports and the Board's findings — with its source noted. Nothing is paraphrased or inferred.
NTSB summary
On September 15, 2014, at about 2027 eastern daylight time, American Airlines flight 2404, a B757-200, N654A, experienced a tail strike during landing at Miami International Airport (KMIA), Miami, Florida. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the aft pressure bulkhead and there were no injuries to the 172 passengers and crew onboard. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (KSJU), San Juan, Puerto Rico to KMIA.
According to the operator, the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying and the captain was the pilot monitoring and was initial operating experience (IOE) training for the FO. The flight crew reported that they had the ILS tuned and the approach was stabilized. They reported that the main gear touchdown was smooth but that the nose came up rapidly before the captain could make the "deployed" call for the spoilers. The captain reportedly quickly grabbed the yoke and lowered the nose to the ground. Postflight maintenance inspection found damage to the aft fuselage skin and substantial damage to the aft pressure bulkhead.
The failure of the first officer to control the airplane pitch after touchdown. Contributing to the accident was the first officers inexperience in the aircraft type.
Verbatim, NTSB determination.
Flight data recorder
Boeing 757-223 · N654A — 749,604 samples, 41 parameters, 41:31:16.0 to 44:05:59.0.
Parameter
Max
at
Min
at
Final
at
Pressure altitude ft
39,991.0
41:59:40.1
-167.0
43:58:25.1
-146.0
44:05:58.1
Computed airspeed kts
511.5
41:31:55.4
0.0
41:31:17.4
0.0
44:05:58.4
Vertical acceleration g
3.3
41:31:55.0
-3.3
41:31:55.1
1.0
44:05:58.9
Engine 1 N1 %RPM
103.1
41:55:14.0
0.0
41:31:16.0
22.8
44:05:58.0
Engine 2 N1 %RPM
101.4
41:55:24.5
0.0
41:31:16.5
22.8
44:05:58.5
Computed from the docket's tabular attachment; times as recorded (local or SRN as published).
Sequence of events (FDR factual report)
Time
Event
Page
about 18:07 EDT
Aircraft took off and climbed to a pressure altitude of 40,000 ft
3
cruise
Cruised at 40,000 ft on a heading of around 305 degrees for about 1 hour 30 minutes, then descended to about 12,000 ft for about 5 minutes and stepped down to 3,000 ft where it made a right turn onto the runway heading
3
20:23 EDT
Aircraft descending out of 3,000 ft on a magnetic heading of around 90 degrees; winds consistent from about 90 degrees true at 11 knots; autopilot engaged, transitioning from altitude hold to approach glideslope mode
3
passing about 2,250 ft
Autopilot disconnected; flight director continued to provide glideslope guidance
3
crossing about 700 ft AGL
Stabilizer position, having stepped down several times during the final descent, stayed constant at -5 degrees from this point
3
20:26:56 EDT
Gear weight-on-wheels signal went true, indicative of landing; control column angle increased to 7 degrees and elevators reached a peak of 17 degrees at touchdown
3
about 20:26:58 EDT
Pitch followed the column input and increased to a peak of 11 degrees for about a second, two seconds after touchdown, before reducing to zero (tail strike)
3
rollout
After thrust reverser deployment, the number 1 engine took five seconds longer than the number 2 engine to accelerate to its commanded reverse thrust; engines otherwise followed command inputs with symmetric thrust during the approach
3
Extracted by claude-fable-5-1 (in-session); 3 of 8 stated events verified against the raw recorder data.