Investigation brief · generated 2026-10-09 · source: NTSB public docket and accident database
AIRBUS A320-232 — Sacramento, CA, USA, 2010-08-26
NTSB number
WPR10IA430
Operator
JETBLUE AIRWAYS CORP
Registration
N590JB
Highest injury
Minor injury
Regulation
Part 121
Damage
Minor
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
Upon touchdown and with the first officer as the pilot flying, the airplane rapidly decelerated. After touchdown, air traffic control tower personnel notified the flight crew that smoke and sparks were coming from the airplane's main landing gear. The captain took control of the airplane and maintained directional control as it abruptly came to stop about 2,000 feet from the touchdown point. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that all four main landing gear tires were deflated and showed evidence of being locked on touchdown and that the main wheel rims were ground down. According to recorded digital flight data, the parking brake engaged about 5,116 mean sea level and remained engaged throughout the remainder of the flight and landing roll. The data also indicated that the speed brake was activated about 4 seconds before the parking brake. The speed brake lever is on the left side of the center console near the parking brake switch, which is at the bottom center of the console. The first officer stated that he activated the speed brake. It is likely that the first officer inadvertently activated the parking brake at the same time.
The flight crew stated that they were unaware of any indications or warnings related to the parking brake system during flight. The airplane's Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitoring (ECAM) system should alert the flight crew when the parking brake is engaged in flight. However, after the accident, the first officer stated that he selected and held down the ECAM emergency cancel pushbutton for several seconds and that this was his typical procedure to preempt the autopilot disconnect audio. This action also terminated, in part, most of the visual alert indications associated with the in-flight parking brake activation. (The alerts would appear in the cancelled caution field on the status page and could be recalled, if necessary.) The operator's procedures state to only use the ECAM emergency cancel pushbutton to suppress spurious master cautions. A review of the airplane's cockpit voice recorder transcript revealed no audible autopilot disconnect or parking brake activation warnings. Examination of the airplane's parking brake and ECAM revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. If the first officer had not cancelled out most of the visual alert indications associated with the in-flight parking brake activation, it is likely that a visual warning would have alerted the flight crew to the in-flight parking brake activation.
The first officer’s inadvertent activation of the parking brake in flight, which led to the airplane abruptly stopping and all four of its main landing gear tires deflating, and his use of a nonstandard procedure to cancel the airplane's monitoring alert system.
Verbatim, NTSB determination.
Flight data recorder
FDR — 421 samples, 80 parameters, 12:45:30.0 to 12:52:30.0.
Parameter
Max
at
Min
at
Final
at
Pressure altitude ft
6,404.0
12:45:31.0
0.0
12:45:30.0
100.0
12:52:29.0
Computed airspeed kts
250.8
12:45:55.0
0.0
12:51:56.0
34.4
12:52:29.0
Pitch attitude deg
6.3
12:47:36.0
-2.5
12:49:19.0
1.1
12:52:29.0
Roll attitude deg
36.2
12:47:45.0
-4.9
12:50:09.0
0.0
12:52:29.0
Vertical acceleration g
1.3
12:47:45.0
0.8
12:51:36.0
1.0
12:52:29.0
Computed from the docket's tabular attachment; times as recorded (local or SRN as published).
Sequence of events (FDR factual report)
Time
Event
Page
11:55
Aircraft took off
3
12:46:52
As the aircraft was passing through 5,164 feet, at an airspeed of 224 knots, the speed brake lever began to move.
3
12:46:56
Parking brake off parameter changed from a state of off to not off; left and right yellow brake pressure indications increased from a nominal value to about 2,300 psi and stayed around this value for the remainder of the flight; autopilot 2 parameter changed state from engaged to not engaged; a microphone key indicated at this time.
3
12:46:58
The master warning (FWC 2) parameter came on for 3 seconds.
3
12:47:00
The master caution (FWC 2) came on for 4 seconds, and the flight directors transitioned from engaged to not engaged.
3
12:47:21
At an airspeed of 225 knots, the gear was selected down.
3
12:47:39
The speed brakes were retracted (18 seconds after gear down selection).
3
12:47:55
The speed brakes were commanded again and remained extended for 13 seconds.
3
12:48:17
The slat-flap lever parameter registered a change from notch 0 to notch 1.
3
12:49:00
As the aircraft was passing through 2,000 feet, with an airspeed of 180 knots, the slat-flap lever moved to notch 2 and the flaps began to transition from 0 degrees.
3
12:49:19
The slat-flap lever moved to position 3 (nineteen seconds after notch 2).
3
12:49:31
The slat-flap lever transitioned to full.
3
12:51:36
The weight on wheels parameter for the left gear indicated compressed. The airspeed registered 114 knots and spoilers began to deploy.
3
12:51:37
The right gear indicated compressed, followed by the nose gear, but the wheel speed values remained around 0 knots, with intermittent wheel speeds recorded as 14, 20 and up to 60 knots.
3
12:51:38
There was a pronounced decrease in longitudinal deceleration during the touchdown with a maximum value of -.50 g's recorded.
3
12:51:40
The thrust reversers deployed.
3
12:51:55
There was a deflection in the brake pedal positions and the autobrake parameter indicated off for 5 seconds. The yellow brake pressure values decreased but there was minimal change in the normal brake pressure values.
3
12:51:59
The groundspeed recorded 0 knots.
3
12:52:00
The parking brake parameter recorded off for 2 seconds and then returned to the previous state of not off.
3
12:54:07
The FDR stopped recording data for this flight.
3
Extracted by claude-sonnet-5; 11 of 20 stated events verified against the raw recorder data.