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ATL86LA090

1986-03-12 · MEMPHIS, Tennessee, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MEM

N877AA has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (CESSNA 172S, built 2018), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 502 EXPERIENCED A FIRE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION ON NO. 1 ENGINE AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLIMBING THROUGH 6000 FEET. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO MEMPHIS. FOLLOWING THE LANDING THE PILOT ORDERED A PASSENGER EMERGENCY EVACUATION. DURING THE EVACUATION THE REAR SLIDE DEFLATED AFTER THE SLIDE MATERIAL WAS PUNCTURED. THE EXAMINATION OF THE MATERIAL DISCLOSED THAT THE PUNCTURE WAS THE RESULT OF A SHOE HEEL. THE EXAMINATION OF THE FIRE WARNING SYSTEM DISCLOSED THAT A DUCT CONNECTOR IN THE SYSTEM HAD FAILED. THE INJURY RECEIVED BY THE INJURED PASSENGER RESULTED FROM JUMPING OFF THE LEFT WING SURFACE DURING THE EVACUATION PHASE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1986_ATL86LA090.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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