On November 12, 2001, American Airlines Flight 587 departed New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport at 9:14 a.m. en route to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The beautiful, clear fall morning was jarringly transformed when, less than two minutes after takeoff, the Airbus A300–605R encountered wake turbulence from a previously departing Boeing 747 and broke apart in flight. All 260 people onboard as well as 5 people on the ground were killed, making this accident the second deadliest single aircraft crash on U.S. soil to date. Similarities between the tragic events of 9/11 just two months prior and this disaster, such as the airline, size airplane, time, and location of the crash just fifteen miles from New York City's World Trade Center, led many people to initially suspect terrorism. However, this fear proved unfounded when investigators quickly eliminated sabotage as a factor.

The morning prior to the accident proceeded uneventfully. The pilots arrived early and conducted their normal routines. The airplane was inspected, fueled, loaded, and ‘weight and balance’ calculations were within limits. The weather was clear, and winds were light out of the northwest. The boarding process took a little longer than usual due to the recently adopted changes in post-9/11 security procedures.