{"id":25553038,"date":"2026-09-29T18:10:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T16:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/?p=25553038"},"modified":"2026-09-29T18:10:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T16:10:08","slug":"american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/","title":{"rendered":"American Airlines Flight 587: The Rudder Inputs That Tore the Tail Off an A300"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>At 9:14 on the morning of 12 November 2001, American Airlines Flight 587 lifted off from New York&rsquo;s John F. Kennedy airport bound for Santo Domingo. Many of the 251 passengers were Dominican New Yorkers going home. About 105 seconds later the Airbus A300 hit the ground in Belle Harbor, Queens, without its tail and without its engines. All 260 people aboard and five people on the ground were killed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>It is the second-deadliest aviation accident on US soil. The popular retelling now circulating online gets the essentials right, but it overstates one key point. The tail did not fail because it was weak. It failed because it was pushed far past anything it was designed to take.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;border-left:4px solid #1a1a1a;padding:18px 22px;margin:24px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px\"><li><strong>Date:<\/strong> Monday 12 November 2001, 09:16 local time<\/li><li><strong>Aircraft:<\/strong> Airbus A300B4-605R, N14053<\/li><li><strong>Route:<\/strong> New York JFK to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic<\/li><li><strong>Crew:<\/strong> Capt. Edward States (42), F\/O Sten Molin (34, flying)<\/li><li><strong>Fatalities:<\/strong> 265: 251 passengers, 9 crew, 5 on the ground<\/li><li><strong>Crash site:<\/strong> Belle Harbor, Rockaway Peninsula, Queens<\/li><li><strong>Probable cause:<\/strong> Fin separated under loads from excessive rudder inputs (NTSB, 2004)<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:28px 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/american-airlines-flight-587-before-takeoff-jfk.jpg\" alt=\"American Airlines Flight 587 before takeoff at JFK\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;font-style:italic;margin-top:8px\">Flight 587 at JFK shortly before takeoff, recorded by a construction-site camera. Image: NTSB, public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A minute and forty seconds behind a 747<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Ahead of Flight 587 on runway 31L was Japan Airlines Flight 47, a Boeing 747-400. The tower cautioned the American crew about <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wake-turbulence-wingtip-vortices-separation-explained\/\">wake turbulence<\/a> from the preceding heavy jet, and cleared them for takeoff at 9:13:28. The A300 left the runway at 9:14:29, about one minute and 40 seconds behind the 747. The separation met FAA rules.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Captain Edward States, 42, was handling the radio. First Officer Sten Molin, 34, was flying. As the A300 climbed out over Jamaica Bay it crossed the 747&rsquo;s wake twice. The first encounter was mild. The second, a few seconds later, rocked the airliner.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:28px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7ETci4fM-Vg\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Six seconds of rudder<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>From 9:15:52, Molin pushed the rudder pedals from one side to the other and back again in quick succession. Each reversal swung the tail through the airflow and built up sideslip, and each new input arrived while the previous one was still loading the fin. In about six seconds the side load on the vertical stabilizer rose far beyond its design limit.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>At 9:15:58 the composite lugs that attach the fin to the fuselage gave way, and the whole vertical stabilizer and rudder tore off and fell into Jamaica Bay. The NTSB later calculated that the load at the moment of failure was about 203,000 pounds-force, roughly twice the 100,000 pounds-force of the fin&rsquo;s design envelope. The structure had exceeded its certification requirements. It had simply been asked to carry a load that no airliner fin is built for.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:28px 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/american-airlines-flight-587-vertical-stabilizer-jamaica-bay.png\" alt=\"Flight 587 vertical stabilizer recovered from Jamaica Bay\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;font-style:italic;margin-top:8px\">The A300&rsquo;s vertical stabilizer is lifted out of Jamaica Bay. It separated at its composite attachment lugs, which the NTSB found had performed to specification. Photo: NTSB, public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Without its fin the A300 yawed violently. The sideways loads sheared both CF6 engines from the wings; they fell several blocks from the main wreckage, one damaging a petrol station. The stall warning sounded at 9:16:04. The last words on the cockpit voice recorder were an exchange between the two pilots.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1a1a1a;padding:22px 26px;margin:30px 0\"><p style=\"font-size:19px;line-height:1.6;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 12px\">&ldquo;What the hell are we into, we&rsquo;re stuck in it. \/ Get out of it, get out of it.&rdquo;<\/p><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Cockpit voice recorder, Flight 587<\/strong>, First Officer Sten Molin at 9:16:07, and Captain Edward States in reply<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The airliner came down on Beach 131st Street in Belle Harbor, destroying several houses. The recorder stopped at 9:16:14.8.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:28px 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/american-airlines-flight-587-crash-site-belle-harbor.jpg\" alt=\"American Airlines Flight 587 crash site, Belle Harbor\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;font-style:italic;margin-top:8px\">Investigators at the crash site in Belle Harbor, Queens, on 12 November 2001. Photo: FAA, public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Two months and a day after 9\/11<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The crash came 62 days after the September 11 attacks, in a city that had not stopped grieving. Belle Harbor itself, home to many firefighters and financial workers, had already lost residents in the Twin Towers. For hours the assumption was that it had happened again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>New York&rsquo;s three major airports were closed for much of the day. The Port Authority shut the bridges and tunnels between Manhattan and New Jersey, the Empire State Building and United Nations headquarters were evacuated, and Air National Guard fighters flew patrols over the region. By the afternoon, though, the NTSB was leading the investigation, and it soon became clear that there was no sign of a bomb or sabotage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:28px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4-xj5YON88Y\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What the NTSB found<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The investigation took almost three years. The NTSB adopted its final report on 26 October 2004, and its conclusion was careful. The wake encounter itself was not dangerous. Had the first officer stopped moving the rudder at any point before the fin broke, the A300 would have levelled out on its own.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #c0392b;padding:22px 26px;margin:30px 0\"><p style=\"font-size:19px;line-height:1.6;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 12px\">&ldquo;The in-flight separation of the vertical stabilizer as a result of the loads beyond ultimate design that were created by the first officer&rsquo;s unnecessary and excessive rudder pedal inputs.&rdquo;<\/p><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>National Transportation Safety Board<\/strong>, probable cause, final report NTSB\/AAR-04\/04, October 2004<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The Board did not stop at the pilot. It named two contributing factors. The first was the A300-600&rsquo;s rudder system: at high speed its pedals needed very little force and travel to command full available rudder, far lighter than pilots might expect, which made it easy to over-control. The second was American Airlines&rsquo; Advanced Aircraft Maneuvering Program, whose simulator training exaggerated the effect of wake turbulence and could encourage pilots to use the rudder aggressively to recover from upsets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Airbus and American argued over where the blame lay, and the pilots&rsquo; union argued the rudder&rsquo;s sensitivity amounted to a design flaw that should have been communicated. The practical lesson for the industry was unambiguous: in a large jet, rapid alternating rudder inputs can break the tail, even at speeds below the manoeuvring speed that pilots had long been told protected them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:28px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MpE4tzMnVqc\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Remembering Flight 587<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>A memorial in Rockaway Park, the community next to Belle Harbor, carries the names of all 265 victims. Every 12 November the names are read aloud there, and a moment of silence is held at 9:16, the time of the crash.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:28px 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/flight-587-memorial-rockaway-park.jpg\" alt=\"Flight 587 memorial, Rockaway Park\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;font-style:italic;margin-top:8px\">The Flight 587 memorial in Rockaway Park, Queens, where the victims&rsquo; names are read every 12 November. Photo: Jim Henderson, CC0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What caused the crash of American Airlines Flight 587?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The NTSB found that the Airbus A300&rsquo;s vertical stabilizer broke off because of loads created by the first officer&rsquo;s &ldquo;unnecessary and excessive&rdquo; rudder pedal inputs after the jet met wake turbulence from a Japan Airlines 747. Contributing factors were the A300-600&rsquo;s sensitive rudder system and elements of American Airlines&rsquo; Advanced Aircraft Maneuvering Program, which could encourage aggressive rudder use.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Did wake turbulence bring down Flight 587?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. Flight 587 encountered the wake of a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 that had departed about one minute and 40 seconds earlier, with legal separation, but the wake itself was not dangerous. The NTSB concluded that the aircraft would have levelled out on its own had the first officer stopped moving the rudder, and that the fin failed because of the rudder inputs, not the turbulence.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many people died on American Airlines Flight 587?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">265 people died: all 251 passengers and 9 crew members on board, and 5 people on the ground in Belle Harbor, Queens. It is the second-deadliest aviation accident on US soil, after the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 at Chicago in 1979.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Was the A300&rsquo;s tail too weak?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. The NTSB found the vertical stabilizer met and exceeded its certification requirements. When it broke away, the rudder inputs had driven the load on it to about 203,000 pounds-force, roughly twice the 100,000 pounds-force of its design envelope. The fin failed because it was loaded far beyond what any airliner fin is designed to withstand.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Was Flight 587 a terrorist attack?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. Because the crash happened in New York two months and a day after 11 September 2001, it was first feared to be another attack, and airports, bridges and tunnels were closed. The NTSB found no evidence of sabotage or terrorism and attributed the crash to the in-flight separation of the vertical stabilizer.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who were the pilots of Flight 587?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The captain was Edward States, 42, who was monitoring and handling the radio. The first officer, Sten Molin, 34, was flying the aircraft. Both were experienced American Airlines pilots.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What changed after Flight 587?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">American Airlines revised the upset-recovery training that the NTSB said could encourage aggressive rudder use, and industry and regulators put new emphasis on the danger of rapid, alternating rudder inputs. Pilots are now taught that full or reversing rudder inputs can overload the tail even below manoeuvring speed, and that wake encounters in large jets rarely call for rudder at all.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What caused the crash of American Airlines Flight 587?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The NTSB found that the Airbus A300\u2019s vertical stabilizer broke off because of loads created by the first officer\u2019s \\\"unnecessary and excessive\\\" rudder pedal inputs after the jet met wake turbulence from a Japan Airlines 747. Contributing factors were the A300-600\u2019s sensitive rudder system and elements of American Airlines\u2019 Advanced Aircraft Maneuvering Program, which could encourage aggressive rudder use.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Did wake turbulence bring down Flight 587?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. Flight 587 encountered the wake of a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 that had departed about one minute and 40 seconds earlier, with legal separation, but the wake itself was not dangerous. The NTSB concluded that the aircraft would have levelled out on its own had the first officer stopped moving the rudder, and that the fin failed because of the rudder inputs, not the turbulence.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many people died on American Airlines Flight 587?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"265 people died: all 251 passengers and 9 crew members on board, and 5 people on the ground in Belle Harbor, Queens. It is the second-deadliest aviation accident on US soil, after the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 at Chicago in 1979.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Was the A300\u2019s tail too weak?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. The NTSB found the vertical stabilizer met and exceeded its certification requirements. When it broke away, the rudder inputs had driven the load on it to about 203,000 pounds-force, roughly twice the 100,000 pounds-force of its design envelope. The fin failed because it was loaded far beyond what any airliner fin is designed to withstand.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Was Flight 587 a terrorist attack?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. Because the crash happened in New York two months and a day after 11 September 2001, it was first feared to be another attack, and airports, bridges and tunnels were closed. The NTSB found no evidence of sabotage or terrorism and attributed the crash to the in-flight separation of the vertical stabilizer.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who were the pilots of Flight 587?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The captain was Edward States, 42, who was monitoring and handling the radio. The first officer, Sten Molin, 34, was flying the aircraft. Both were experienced American Airlines pilots.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What changed after Flight 587?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"American Airlines revised the upset-recovery training that the NTSB said could encourage aggressive rudder use, and industry and regulators put new emphasis on the danger of rapid, alternating rudder inputs. Pilots are now taught that full or reversing rudder inputs can overload the tail even below manoeuvring speed, and that wake encounters in large jets rarely call for rudder at all.\"}}]}<\/script><p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#777;font-style:italic;margin-top:28px\">Sources: NTSB, Aircraft Accident Report NTSB\/AAR-04\/04, &ldquo;In-Flight Separation of Vertical Stabilizer, American Airlines Flight 587&rdquo; (2004); NTSB animations; FAA Lessons Learned, N14053; Wikipedia, &ldquo;American Airlines Flight 587&rdquo;.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wake-turbulence-wingtip-vortices-separation-explained\/\">Wake Turbulence: The Invisible Tornado Behind Every Airliner<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/turkish-airlines-981-dc-10-cargo-door-ermenonville-1974\/\">Turkish Airlines 981: The Cargo Door That Killed 346 People<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/dhl-a300-baghdad-missile-hydraulics-2003\/\">Hit by a Missile, Landed on Engines Alone<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/iran-air-flight-655-uss-vincennes-shootdown-1988\/\">The Iran Air 655 Tragedy: When a Warship Shot Down an Airliner<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 12 November 2001 an American Airlines A300 lost its tail over Queens and crashed in Belle Harbor, killing 265. Wake turbulence started it; rudder inputs finished it.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":25552761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665,666],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25553038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world","category-history-and-legends"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>American Airlines Flight 587: How an A300 Lost Its Tail in 2001<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Belle Harbor, Queens, on 12 November 2001, killing 265. Why the A300\u2019s tail broke off, and what the NTSB found.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"American Airlines Flight 587: How an A300 Lost Its Tail in 2001\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Belle Harbor, Queens, on 12 November 2001, killing 265. Why the A300\u2019s tail broke off, and what the NTSB found.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-29T16:10:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/american-airlines-flight-587-vertical-stabilizer-jamaica-bay.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1229\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"777\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joseph Duncan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joseph Duncan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Joseph Duncan\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85\"},\"headline\":\"American Airlines Flight 587: The Rudder Inputs That Tore the Tail Off an A300\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-29T16:10:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1492,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-vertical-stabilizer-jamaica-bay.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Aviation World\",\"History &amp; Legends\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/\",\"name\":\"American Airlines Flight 587: How an A300 Lost Its Tail in 2001\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-vertical-stabilizer-jamaica-bay.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-29T16:10:08+00:00\",\"description\":\"American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Belle Harbor, Queens, on 12 November 2001, killing 265. Why the A300\u2019s tail broke off, and what the NTSB found.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-vertical-stabilizer-jamaica-bay.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-vertical-stabilizer-jamaica-bay.png\",\"width\":1229,\"height\":777,\"caption\":\"The A300&rsquo;s vertical stabilizer is recovered from Jamaica Bay. It broke away at its composite attachment lugs. Photo: NTSB, public domain\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"American Airlines Flight 587: The Rudder Inputs That Tore the Tail Off an A300\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"name\":\"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"width\":897,\"height\":278,\"caption\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MiGFlug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/migflug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/migflug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MiGFlug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/migflug.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.ch\\\/migflug\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85\",\"name\":\"Joseph Duncan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Joseph Duncan\"},\"description\":\"Joseph Duncan covers breaking defence news \u2014 fast, sharp dispatches on the Pentagon, procurement and the world\u2019s air forces.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/de\\\/author\\\/josephduncan\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"American Airlines Flight 587: How an A300 Lost Its Tail in 2001","description":"American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Belle Harbor, Queens, on 12 November 2001, killing 265. Why the A300\u2019s tail broke off, and what the NTSB found.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/","og_locale":"de_DE","og_type":"article","og_title":"American Airlines Flight 587: How an A300 Lost Its Tail in 2001","og_description":"American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Belle Harbor, Queens, on 12 November 2001, killing 265. Why the A300\u2019s tail broke off, and what the NTSB found.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/","og_site_name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","article_published_time":"2026-09-29T16:10:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1229,"height":777,"url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/american-airlines-flight-587-vertical-stabilizer-jamaica-bay.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Joseph Duncan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@migflug","twitter_site":"@migflug","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Joseph Duncan","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/"},"author":{"name":"Joseph Duncan","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85"},"headline":"American Airlines Flight 587: The Rudder Inputs That Tore the Tail Off an A300","datePublished":"2026-09-29T16:10:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/"},"wordCount":1492,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/american-airlines-flight-587-vertical-stabilizer-jamaica-bay.png","articleSection":["Aviation World","History &amp; Legends"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/","name":"American Airlines Flight 587: How an A300 Lost Its Tail in 2001","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/american-airlines-flight-587-vertical-stabilizer-jamaica-bay.png","datePublished":"2026-09-29T16:10:08+00:00","description":"American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Belle Harbor, Queens, on 12 November 2001, killing 265. Why the A300\u2019s tail broke off, and what the NTSB found.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/american-airlines-flight-587-vertical-stabilizer-jamaica-bay.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/american-airlines-flight-587-vertical-stabilizer-jamaica-bay.png","width":1229,"height":777,"caption":"The A300&rsquo;s vertical stabilizer is recovered from Jamaica Bay. It broke away at its composite attachment lugs. Photo: NTSB, public domain"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/american-airlines-flight-587-belle-harbor-a300-rudder-2001\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"American Airlines Flight 587: The Rudder Inputs That Tore the Tail Off an A300"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","name":"Afterburner \u2013 MiGFlugs Magazin","description":"F\u00fcr alle, die sich f\u00fcr das Fliegen von Milit\u00e4rjets und verwandte Luftfahrtthemen interessieren.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization","name":"MiGFlug GmbH","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","width":897,"height":278,"caption":"MiGFlug GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","https:\/\/x.com\/migflug","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/migflug\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MiGFlug","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/migflug.com\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ch\/migflug\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85","name":"Joseph Duncan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Joseph Duncan"},"description":"Joseph Duncan berichtet \u00fcber aktuelle Verteidigungsnachrichten \u2013 schnelle, pr\u00e4gnante Meldungen \u00fcber das Pentagon, Beschaffungswesen und die Luftstreitkr\u00e4fte der Welt.","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/author\/josephduncan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25553038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25553038"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25553038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25553193,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25553038\/revisions\/25553193"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25552761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25553038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25553038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25553038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}