Boeing 737-291 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, June 26, 1989
On June 26, 1989 at about 2:38 pm local time, a Boeing 737-291, registered N7375F, was involved in an accident near Atlanta, Georgia (Hartsfield). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 105 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE GROUND EMPLOYEE TO FOLLOW NORMAL SAFETY PROCEDURES. HIS LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE OPERATION WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 1989 · about 2:38 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · Hartsfield
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 105 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-291 · all 737-291s on the register
- Registration
- N7375F · no longer on the register · serial 20363
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING STOPPED ON CONCOURSE 'C' TO DEPLANE PASSENGERS, A GROUND EMPLOYEE WALKED BEHIND THE #2 ENGINE TO CHOCK THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. AS HE WENT BEHIND THE ENGINE, THE JET BLAST (EXHAUST) HURLED HIM ABOUT FIVE FEET TO THE GROUND. THE EMPLOYEE SUSTAINED A BROKEN JAW AND SEVERAL BRUISES AND LACERATIONS. HE HAD BEEN HIRED ON 6/9/89 (17 DAYS BEFORE THE ACDNT). ACCORDING TO HIS TRAINING RECORD, HE HAD RECEIVED TRAINING IN RAMP SAFETY.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,032 hours in all; 224 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 54,677 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 115,500 lb
- Seats: 134
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Newark NJ at 12:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 100 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.