Boeing 757 accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 24, 2018
On August 24, 2018 at about 11:55 pm local time, a 1998 Boeing 757, registered EILBT, was involved in an accident during pushback/tow (engine not oper) near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia International airport). It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 177 people were on board or involved. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The ground service employee's inadvertent fall near the nose wheel during pushback.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2018 · about 11:55 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Philadelphia International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 177 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757 200, built 1998 · all 757s on the register
- Registration
- EILBT · no longer on the register · serial 28170
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 24, 2018, about 2350 eastern daylight time, Aer Lingus flight 114, a Boeing 757-200, EI-LBT, had a ground service employee suffer a serious injury while engaged in pushback from the gate at Philadelphia International Airport (KPHL), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There were no injuries to 177 passengers and crew onboard. The airplane was not damaged. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 129 scheduled international passenger flight from KPHL to Dublin Airport (EIDW), Dublin, Ireland. According to the operator, the ground service employee was connected to the airplane via a headset and was engaged in push-back from gate A6. At some point, the service employee fell down and the nose wheel ran over his right leg, causing a serious injury. The flight crew reported that the pushback was nearly complete and were about halfway through the 90 degree turn onto the taxi line, when the airplane jerked to a stop. There was general confusion for several minutes before they were informed of what happened.
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
- Ground handling event during pushback/tow (engine not oper) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Ground crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 5, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,897 hours in all; 2,307 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 12, 2018
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 115,666 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: PHL Philadelphia PA at 3:50 am
- Destination: EIDW Dublin OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 8 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 167 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on July 13, 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, 11 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.