Boeing 757-231 accident near St Paul, Minnesota, November 6, 1994
On November 6, 1994 at about 7:05 pm local time, a Boeing 757-231, registered N518US, was involved in an accident near St Paul, Minnesota (Minneapolis-St Paul Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 123 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF GROUND PERSONNEL TO IDENTIFY THE UNSAFE/HAZARDOUS SITUATION REGARDING THE CLOSENESS OF THE AIRPLANE TO THE BAGGAGE CARTS, AND THE CAPTAIN'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION CONCERNING THE SITUATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 6, 1994 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- St Paul, Minnesota · Minneapolis-St Paul Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 123 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-231 · all 757-231s on the register
- Registration
- N518US · no longer on the register · serial 23206
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CAPTAIN REPORTED THAT AFTER BEING CLEARED TO TAXI FOR DEPARTURE, THE TUG DRIVER PUSHED THE AIRPLANE BACK TO A SPOT CLOSE TO THE GATE. TO CONSERVE FUEL, ONLY THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS STARTED FOR TAXIING. DUE TO THE POSITION OF OTHER AIRCRAFT AND CLOSENESS OF THE GATE, THE CAPTAIN ELECTED TO MAKE A 270 DEGREE RIGHT TURN TO TAXI TO THE RUNWAY. DURING THE TURN, JET BLAST FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE OVERTURNED THREE BAGGAGE CARTS. ONE OF THE CARTS HIT A GROUND WORKER, WHICH RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY. THE COMPANY OPERATIONS MANUAL STATED THAT TAXI THRUST SHOULD BE KEPT BELOW 45% N1. THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER INDICATED THE RIGHT ENGINE N1 PEAKED AT 49.73% AS THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED TO INITIATE THE TURN.
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: 3,260 hours in all; 469 in this make and model; 132 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,862 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 6, 1994; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 227,500 lb
- Seats: 193
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W 2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northwest Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: MSP
- Destination: DCA Washington DC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from MSP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 116 |
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.