Boeing 757-232 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, March 8, 2013
On March 8, 2013, a Boeing 757-232, registered N698DL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Atlanta, Georgia (Hartsfield/Jackson). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 148 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain correct airspeed and pitch attitude at touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2013
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · Hartsfield/Jackson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 148 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-232 · all 757-232s on the register
- Registration
- N698DL · registry record · serial 29911
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On March 7, 2013, at 19:21 Eastern Standard Time, a Boeing 757-200, registration N698DL, operated by Delta Air Lines as flight 1693 from Orange County Airport, Santa Ana, California (KSNA) to the Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia (KATL), experienced a tailstrike while landing on runway 28. The aircraft was substantially damaged, and there were no injuries to the 2 flight crew, 4 flight attendants, or 142 passengers. Weather at the time of the event was reported as winds from 340 degrees at 6 knots, clear skies and 10 miles visibility. According to the flight crew, the preflight, departure and enroute segments of the flight were normal. The approach was flown with a Vref speed of 129 knots and 25 degrees of flap. Upon landing, the first officer called "speedbrakes not activated" and manually deployed the speedbrakes. The captain reported he felt the airplane "float" and attempted to maintain landing attitude. FDR data indicated that the airplane made an initial touchdown, followed by a brief gear squat switch deactivation, consistent with a slight bounce or light touchdown; the speedbrakes were then manually deployed. Airspeed decayed to approximately 115 knots and pitch attitude increased to about 11 degrees. The Delta 757/767 Flight Crew Training Manual specifies that contact with the runway is possible with pitch attitude greater than 10.5 degrees, with flaps 25 and airspeed of 10 knots below Vref. The airplane rolled out and taxied to the gate uneventfully. While preparing the aircraft for the next flight the flight crew was informed by maintenance personnel of damage to the tail section of the aircraft. Aircraft inspection revealed an 8 foot scrape on the lower aft fuselage, damage to several stringers and buckling of the aft pressurization dome.
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
What happened, in order
- Tailstrike during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,013 hours in all; 2,018 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 4, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,601 hours in all; 158 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 46,669 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 12, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 241,000 lb
- Seats: 191
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P & W PW2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P & W PW2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines INC
The flight
- Departed from: KSNA Santa Ana CA at 8:35 pm
- Destination: KATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 am from KATL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 142 |
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 DCA13CA065.