Boeing 717-200 accident near Memphis, Tennessee, November 11, 2006
On November 11, 2006 at about 5:12 am local time, a Boeing 717-200, registered N956AT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Memphis, Tennessee (Memphis Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 122 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The captain's inadequate visual look out during taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2006 · about 5:12 am local time
- Place
- Memphis, Tennessee · Memphis Intl · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 122 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 717-200 · all 717-200s on the register
- Registration
- N956AT · no longer on the register · serial 55018
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
It rained heavily prior to the flight's arrival; however, it was not raining at the time of the accident. The first officer landed the airplane and the captain took over the controls as the airplane slowed. The captained then exited at taxiway S4, and the local controller cleared the flight to cross runway 36C at Kilo. As the captain exited runway 36R, he asked the first officer "where is Kilo?" She responded "on the right," indicating that Kilo was to their right. As the captain crossed 36C and entered the junction of taxiways Kilo, Charlie, and Charlie 5 he saw that gate C16 was off of his left side. He saw the marshaller and turned left towards the gate. Both flight crew members did not realize that the airplane had rolled off the taxiway until they felt the nose landing gear impact a concrete drainage ditch. Examination of the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane was located in the grass median off the right side of taxiway Charlie, approximately 250 feet south of taxiway Kilo. The nose landing gear assembly had collapsed and the forward pressure bulkhead was punctured. According to the Airport Safety and Certification Division, FAA Southern Region, all of the taxiway signs and taxiway lights were lit and working properly at the time of the accident. The taxiway edge markings were correct and the centerline was in place. The signs and markings were in accordance with the approved sign plan and Airport Certification Manual.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,669 hours in all; 1,642 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 7,041 as pilot in command; 618 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,090 hours in all; 333 in this make and model; 1,823 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,847.6 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 1, 2006; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 102,002 lb
- Seats: 117
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce BR700715A1-30 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KATL Atlanta GA at 4:05 am
- Destination: KMEM Memphis TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 340° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 13,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from KMEM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 117 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL07LA016.