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The National Transportation Safety Board is launching an investigation into an accident that occurred last week when an American Airlines jet struck a runway distance marker upon takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport, the agency announced Wednesday.
On April 10 at 8:40 p.m., the Airbus A321 scheduled to fly to Los Angeles with 110 people on board took off from the New York airport and struck the object with its left wingtip, according to the airline and investigators.
The wing of the American Airlines jet hit the ground of runway 31L, striking the “5,000-foot” marker that enables pilots to know exactly how much runway is left and damaging a number of runway edge lights as well, two FAA officials told ABC News.
(STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images)The flight returned to the airport and landed safely 29 minutes later, with no injuries to passengers or crew, American Airlines said in a statement.
NTSB investigations typically last 6-12 months and culminate with the independent agency determining a probable cause of the accident.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
