Boeing 757 223 accident near Dallas, Texas, October 21, 2015
On October 21, 2015 at about 10:56 pm local time, a 1999 Boeing 757 223, registered N183AN, was involved in an accident during standing (engine(s) not oper) near Dallas, Texas (Dallas / Ft Worth airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 166 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the disabled passenger not being properly secured during the transfer from the aisle chair causing him to slide to floor and receive a serious injury.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2015 · about 10:56 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · Dallas / Ft Worth · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 166 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757 223 223, built 1999 · all 757 223s on the register
- Registration
- N183AN · no longer on the register · serial 29593
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to a company report, after boarding all other passengers, gate agents proceeded with boarding a quadriplegic passenger who required assistance and use of an aisle chair to be moved to his seat on the airplane. A seatbelt and additional belts across the passenger's chest were used to secure him in the aisle chair while moving him onboard. When the belts were removed in order to transfer the passenger from the aisle chair to the airplane seat the passenger slid to the floor. The passenger was then lifted into his seat by the gate agents. According to crew statements, after the gate agents left the airplane and the jetway had been retracted, a flight attendant (FA) observed that the passenger appeared to be injured and the crew requested emergency services. The passenger was transported to a hospital and diagnosed with a broken right tibia.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during standing (engine(s) not oper) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,468 hours in all; 807 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,876 hours in all; 650 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 228,178 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dallas TX
- Destination: MCO Orlando FL
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KDFW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 160 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 8, 2016. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Employee Statements | PDF, 8 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.