March 14, 2026 — Dallas American Airlines accidentally flew a non-ETOPS Airbus A321 to Hawaii on August 31, 2015, when Flight AA31 from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL) used Airbus A321 registration N137AA, which lacked certification for extended overwater flights.
The error was discovered mid-flight, prompting the crew to land safely in Honolulu, cancel the return leg, and notify the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). American Airlines subsequently updated its procedures to prevent recurrence, as detailed in contemporaneous reports.
The 2015 Incident
American Airlines accidentally flew a non-ETOPS Airbus A321 to Hawaii on a route requiring ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) certification due to the distance over water exceeding limits for non-certified twinjets. The Airbus A321 was not rated for such operations, according to ch-aviation on September 14, 2015.
The Guardian reported the flight “was not approved for long trip,” while USA Today noted American “mistakenly used wrong plane for overwater flight to Hawaii.” ABC News confirmed the airline admitted the jet was not certified.
No safety incidents occurred, and early discussions on forums like PPRuNe and Reddit highlighted fleet management errors.
Aftermath and FAA Notification
American Airlines promptly informed the FAA after landing, leading to procedural changes. A Simple Flying retrospective from January 2025 recapped the event, emphasizing the safe resolution.
Recent Coverage
On March 13, 2026, Simple Flying published “Is It True That American Airlines Accidentally Flew a Non-ETOPS Airbus A321 to Hawaii?”, verifying details from American Airlines’ account and FAA context. The article revisits the resolved 2015 case amid ongoing aviation safety discussions, with no new incidents reported.
