A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by American Airlines was grounded in Amsterdam due to flap issues. The airplane was on a scheduled journey to Philadelphia when the fault was found in midair, forcing a turn around.
The proper deployment of flaps is crucial for a safe flight, and there have been numerous instances where planes have had to divert due to flap difficulties.
American Airlines jet is grounded in Amsterdam.
On January 7, an American Airlines flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) was cut short owing to a technical fault.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was flying flight AA203, which was due to depart at 13:05 and arrive at 15:00 local time. According to Flightradar24, the flight took off at 14:46 but was unable to fly very far due to flap troubles.
According to The Aviation Herald, the crew sought to level out at FL060 but ultimately elected to continue with the flight. However, that decision was shortly reversed, and the crew elected to keep FL130.
The plane then crossed the North Sea to dump fuel before returning to Amsterdam Airport, where it safely landed. According to reports, the 787 landed faster than usual.
According to the investigation, the cockpit crew reported flap difficulties, which is why the landing was most likely done at a somewhat greater speed. While the aircraft was set to depart the next day, it was once again grounded due to a hydraulics fault identified by the crew. Simple Flying has asked American Airlines for a comment.
About the aircraft
The incident involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with the registration number N819AN. According to ch-aviation, it is 7.8 years old and was handed to American Airlines in April 2017. As of July 2024, the plane has logged over 28,000 flying hours throughout 4,094 cycles.
It can hold 234 passengers in four cabins: 138 in economy, 48 in economy plus, 28 in premium economy, and 20 in business class.
American Airlines has a wide fleet of aircraft to cover its extensive network in the United States and abroad. It runs both Airbus and Boeing narrowbody planes, but the majority of its long-haul flights are on Boeing widebodies.
Aside from Boeing 777s, American has a fleet of more than 55 Dreamliners, 37 of which are 787-8 and 22 of which are 787-9, according to ch-aviation statistics. At the time of writing, the Dreamliner implicated in the incident was still at Amsterdam International Airport.
Similar diversions.
An malfunction with flaps can impair an aircraft’s ability to land or take off safely. Several times in the past, pilots were forced to divert their aircraft due to flap problems.
Last month, it was reported that a 30-year-old United Airlines Boeing 757 flying from Denver, CO, to Lihue, HI, encountered a flap malfunction on final approach, forcing a go-around. Fortunately, issue was remedied on the subsequent landing attempt.
In November, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 flying from Oakland International (OAK) to Reno-Tahoe International (RNO) was forced to divert to Sacramento International Airport (SMF) due to a flap issue.
In October, an American Airlines Airbus A319 flying from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP) was forced to divert to Meadows Field Airport after pilots discovered that the aircraft’s flaps were unusable.
Aircraft without deployed flaps can land at substantially faster speeds. To reduce risk, pilots prefer to land on the longest runway available.
Flaps are supplementary control surfaces on the wing that change the aircraft’s aerodynamics. They play an important part in getting the aircraft airborne and landing. Those interested in learning more about them can refer to the following article.