The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reported that an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 encountered a tail strike upon landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The incident, which involved flight AA2715 arriving from West Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), fortunately resulted in no injuries among the 108 individuals onboard.
The aircraft, registered as N916AN, initially attempted to land on runway 28C/10C at approximately 17:58 local time (UTC -5), according to Flightradar24 data. During this attempt, the aircraft’s altitude dropped to 900 feet before it ascended again, making a circling maneuver to the south of the airport. It reached an altitude of over 5,200 ft before making a second landing attempt, this time successfully on runway 27C/9C at 18:16.
However, it was during the first landing attempt around 18:00 that the tail strike is reported to have occurred, as indicated by the FAA’s Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system. Despite this, the Boeing 737-800 managed to taxi to the gate without further incident.
The FAA detailed that the aircraft was carrying 100 passengers, six cabin crew members, and two pilots at the time of the incident. Weather conditions at ORD, according to the Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR) published at 17:51, showed a wind direction of 290 with speeds up to 20 knots, gusting up to 28 knots, which could have influenced the initial landing attempt.
While the ASIAS system did not provide additional details, Flightradar24 has noted that the aircraft is scheduled to depart ORD on June 9 for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on flight AA2896, indicating that the aircraft has been cleared for further operations.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges and complexities of aviation safety, particularly in adverse weather conditions, and underscores the importance of rigorous safety protocols in ensuring the well-being of passengers and crew.