In August 2017 , US regional carrier Silver Airways signed a letter of intent for up to 50 ATR 42 , a return in the continental US market since 1997 when American Airlines converted 12 ATR 72 options , due to the rise of regional jets and the American Eagle Flight 4184 crash in 1994 . ATR lowered its output to 80 deliveries a year from 2017 and boasts a nearly three-year backlog after FedEx Express ' November 2017 order . In 2017 , ATR booked 113 firm orders and 40 options , and delivered 80 aircraft : 70 new ATR 72-600s , 8 new ATR 42-600s and 2 second hand ATRs
American Eagle Flight 4184
American Eagle Flight 4184
ATR (aircraft manufacturer)