American Airlines Flight 1420, a scheduled passenger flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Little Rock National Airport, encountered significant difficulties while landing on June 1, 1999. As the aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, approached Little Rock, severe thunderstorms resulted in limited visibility and heavy rain. The pilots attempted to land despite these conditions, but the aircraft skidded off the runway after touching down. It veered to the left, struck a localizer antenna, and subsequently broke apart, with portions of the aircraft igniting due to the fuel onboard.

Of the 145 passengers and crew members aboard, 11 lost their lives in the crash, and many others sustained injuries. The investigation into the accident revealed that the flight crew did not deploy the spoilers as intended, which would have helped slow the aircraft. Additional findings attributed factors such as the weather conditions, passenger weight, and runway length to the aircraft's inability to stop safely. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) conducted a thorough investigation, ultimately calling for improvements in pilot training concerning landing in adverse weather.

Following the incident, American Airlines and the aviation industry took significant steps to enhance safety measures. The importance of conducting thorough pre-landing checklists and effective communication regarding weather updates became more emphasized. The crash served to highlight the critical nature of crew resource management and the need for updated training to handle challenging landing conditions. Over the years, the insights gained from this tragedy influenced regulations and safety practices aimed at preventing similar accidents.