Airbus A321 accident near Dallas, Texas, September 26, 2018
On September 26, 2018 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 2016 Airbus A321, registered N994AN, was involved in an accident during prior to flight near Dallas, Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 185 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a passenger leaving a bag in the aisle that the flight attendant tripped over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 2018 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · Dallas-Fort Worth Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 185 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus A321 231, built 2016 · all A321s on the register
- Registration
- N994AN · registry record · serial 7407
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 26, 2018, at about 1200 CDT, American Airlines flight 2308, an Airbus A321, N994AN, was still at the gate at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, when a flight attendant tripped over a bag and injured her ankle. Of the 186 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant received a serious injury. The flight was scheduled to operate under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a domestic passenger flight from DFW to Sacramento International Airport (SMF), Sacramento, California. The injury occurred after the main cabin door had been closed but before the airplane had been pushed back. The injured flight attendant was unable to walk and was assisted off the airplane after the jet bridge was repositioned. The fight attendant was transported to an local urgent care facility where she was diagnosed with a broken ankle.
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 prior to flight defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Miscellaneous › (general) › (general) › Passenger
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,309 hours in all; 1,174 in this make and model; 175.5 in the last 90 days; 50.1 in the last 30 days; 1,146 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 10, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 884 hours in all; 884 in this make and model; 190.3 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 5, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 205,030 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Iae V2533-A5 (turbofan); 6,214 hours total
- Engine 2: Iae V2533-A5 (turbofan); 6,214 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dfw Airport TX at 5:00 pm
- Destination: SMF Sacramento CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 16 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; scat
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KDFW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 3 | ||
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 180 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 DCA18CA294.