AVIATION/ JAMAICA UPDATES ON AA FL331

Controllers at Norman Manley International airport in Kingston, Jamaica offered the crew of AMERICAN AIRLINES Flight 331, Boeing 737-800 that overran the runway upon landing on December 23, a circling approach to the opposite runway end to avoid tailwind conditions. AA Flight 331 was on service from Miami, Florida, when the incident took place. Of the 148 passengers and 6 crew members onboard, about 100 suffered injuries in the crash landing, which destroyed the 737. The information was released in a preliminary report by the civil aviation authority of Jamaica. During a landing in heavy rain the aircraft exited the runway, went through a perimeter fence, crossed a road and came to rest 175ft beyond the end of Runway 12, which was 12m from the water line. Officials say the controllers on duty at the time advised the American crew of tailwind conditions on Runway 12. The airport has a single runway designated 12/30. In the report Jamaican authorities say that ATC offered the crew a circling approach for landing on Runway 30. "The crew repeated their request for Runway 12 and were subsequently cleared to land on that runway, with the controller further advising the crew that the runway was wet," the report says. The Aaptain was operating the aircraft at the time, and reported he was using the 737's head-up display during approach and landing. After descending through cloud cover the crew made visual contact with the runway between 1000ft and 700ft above ground level. The flight data recorder indicates the landing speed was 148kt, with a ground speed of 162kt and a tailwind component of 14kt. The 737 made initial contact at 1220m down the 2714m-long runway. Flight data recorder data shows that the aircraft bounced once and settled into the runway. The autobrakes then engaged, and reverse thrust and spoilers were deployed. Jamaican authorities say the crew reported at that point they felt the aircraft did not decelerate normally, and applied maximum breaking. During the landing roll-out, the flight data recorder shows the aircraft veered to the left of the centreline and departed the end of the runway at a groundspeed of 63kt. The reports says the flight data recorder did not indicate any anomalies or malfunction with the operation of the brakes, spoilers or thrust reversers. The runway at Kingston was rehabilitated in 1997-98 with a mixture of asphalt and concrete that meets internationally accepted specifications and standards, say Jamaican officials. They added that the fact that many aircraft have landed at the Airport for years in heavy rains is "not outside the envelope of normality". The investigation continues.