<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
For almost five years, one of the world's largest jetmakers knew that the 27-foot-tall tail fin on one of its jets had almost snapped off in flight.

Officials with manufacturer Airbus understood that losing a tail fin would prove catastrophic. Even so, they kept their concerns to themselves until after a tail fin did break off one of its jets, causing the second-worst aviation disaster in U.S. history.

The nation's aviation safety system is designed to prevent crashes by learning lessons from close calls. In this case, the system broke down.

The review found that on May 12, 1997, American Airlines pilots on Flight 903 from Boston to Miami lost control of the jet. In response, they made a series of radical maneuvers that placed extreme stress on the tail fin, nearly snapping it off. Eventually, they landed safely.</font>