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November 16, 2001 — A few hours after American Airlines flight 587 crashed after taking off from New York's Kennedy Airport, the U.S. Coast Guard called on NOAA to dispatch an oil spill expert to determine if there was any pollution coming from the wreckage. The day after the crash NOAA's New York-area HAZMAT Scientific Support Coordinator, Ed Levine, boarded a Coast Guard reconnaissance flight to get an overview of the situation in Jamaica Bay, where parts of the aircraft came down. (Click NOAA photo for larger view of American Airlines crash site taken Nov. 13, 2001.)

NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration was asked to determine the trajectory of aviation fuel that was spilled in Jamaica Bay and whether a possible spill response was required. In addition, NOAA also was asked to provide a model for drift of any floating debris. This is standard procedure for NOAA whenever there's a spill of hazardous material. As it turns out, any jet fuel that landed in the bay had evaporated by the time the Coast Guard conducted its overflight of the crash scene. No pollution was associated with the crash.

While conducting his oil spill assessment, Levine took photos of the crash scene. One of the photo shows where one of the engines fell on a gas station, and others show the homes destroyed by the plane.

Click images for larger view. Please credit "NOAA."

Each year millions of gallons of oil and other chemicals spill into U.S. waters. When the federal government responds to oil and hazardous materials spills in coastal zones, scientists in NOAA's Hazardous Materials Division respond to determine what got spilled, where it will go, what it will hit and how can the effects of the spill be reduced.

A team of Scientific Support Coordinators leads NOAA's response. Scientists based at NOAA's facility in Seattle, Wash., provide oil and chemical trajectory estimates, chemical hazards analyses, and assessments of risks to coastal animals and habitats and important human-use areas.

NOAA specialists work with federal on-scene coordinators to respond to about 100 accidental oil and chemical spills each year.

Spills in U.S. Waters:

• 1999 New Carissa spill off Coos Bay, Oregon.
• 1996 Barge Buffalo 292 spill off Galveston, Texas.
• 1996 North Cape - Scandia spill off the coast of Rhode Island.
• 1995 Morris J. Berman spill off Puerto Rico.
• 1989 grounding of the Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

Spills in International Waters:

• 2001 Oil Spill in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
• 1997 Spill from the Nakhodka off Japan.
• Katina P and Wellborn spills off Madagascar in 1992 and 1994.
• 1991 Arabian Gulf oil well fires and oil spill.
• 1978 Amoco Cadiz spill in France.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration

Frequently-Asked Questions About Oil Spills

NOAA SCIENTISTS PROVIDE EXPERTISE IN GALAPAGOS ISLANDS OIL SPILL

Media Contact:
Greg Hernandez, NOAA, (202) 482-3091