Airbus 320 accident near Dallas, Texas, May 9, 2013
On May 9, 2013 at about 7:46 pm local time, a Airbus 320, registered N327NW, was involved in an accident during standing near Dallas, Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 119 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight attendant's inadvertent trip over the jumpseat that had not retracted automatically.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2013 · about 7:46 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · Dallas-Fort Worth · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 119 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus 320 211
- Registration
- N327NW · registry record · serial 297
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On May 9, 2013, about 1446 central daylight time, Delta Air Lines flight 2071, an Airbus 320-200, registration N327NW, had a flight attendant who fell and suffered a serious injury. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 121 as a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Detroit, Michigan, to Dallas, Texas.According to flight attendant (FA) statements, the 1L FA did not notice that the jumpseat had not stowed automatically and she tripped and fell when she reached over the seat to disarm the main door after arrival at the gate. A follow-on medical examination revealed that the FA had received serious injuries from the fall.
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
- Cabin safety event during standing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Cabin crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,649 hours in all; 6,875 in this make and model; 213 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,945 hours in all; 830 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 3, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 45,534 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 9, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 154,323 lb
- Seats: 159
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm International CFM56-5-A1 (turbofan); 54,938 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm International CFM56-5-A1 (turbofan); 56,509 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines
The flight
- Departed from: DTW Detroit MI at 4:31 pm
- Destination: DFW Dallas TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft; a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from DFW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 2 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 115 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 21, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Reports from Parties to the Investigation | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.