WASHINGTON—Federal investigators say a mistake by the captain of an American Airlines flight caused the plane’s wing to clip the ground during takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2019.
The National National Transportation Safety Board said the captain applied too much rudder power to offset a crosswind, causing the plane to veer to the left and nearly leave the runway.
The pilots were able to take off, but the left wing of the Airbus A321 banked down by up to 37 degrees and struck the ground and a runway distance marker. Part of the marker was embedded in the wing, according to the report released Monday….