Douglas DC-9-31 accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 1, 2001
On May 1, 2001 at about 7:37 pm local time, a Douglas DC-9-31, registered N9333, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota (Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold- airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 42 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial failure of the aircraft tug for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2001 · about 7:37 pm local time
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold- · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 42 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-9-31 · all DC-9-31s on the register
- Registration
- N9333 · no longer on the register · serial 47246
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when it was struck by an aircraft tug during passenger boarding. The aircraft was parked and was being prepared for departure. The driver of the tug was moving the vehicle into position in order to connect the aircraft tow bar in preparation for pushback. He said that when he placed the tug into gear, it lurched forward into the parked aircraft. He said that pieces of the aircraft protruded through the windshield of the vehicle and pinned him into his seat. He said that he was unable to shift the vehicle into reverse and his leg was pinned on the accelerator pedal. Other ground workers in the area attempted to shut off the tug's engine. The driver said that the vehicle continued to drive forward until the engine was finally shut off. During the event, the pilot of the aircraft had applied the brakes when he noticed the unplanned movement of the airplane. The aircraft was pushed backward about 30 feet causing damage to the nose section of the fuselage. Subsequent to the accident, the tug was placed on jacks and a check performed. During the check it was found that the normal engine shutoff switch would not shut the engine off if the engine was operated at high throttle settings. It was further discovered that at high throttle settings, the brake system was not able to stop the rotation of the drive wheels. No anomalies were found during this test that would explain the lurching described by the tug driver. The tug had been involved in a previous incident where an aircraft was damaged. A report of the previous incident showed that the tug lurched when the driver was attempting to move the tug into position to connect to the aircraft. The tug manufacturer does not have records of operational problems associated with that model tug. The manufacturer also said that they were not aware of a history of lurching problems concerning the model tug in question. It was found that the distance from the cab of the tug to the nose of a DC-9 aircraft when the tow bar is attached is 4 feet 2 inches.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,174 hours in all; 6,759 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 22, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme
- Maximum gross weight: 108,000 lb
- Seats: 105
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney JT8-9A (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney JT8-9A (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSP Minneapolis MN
- Destination: PHL Philadelphia PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from MSP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 38 |
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.