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Accidents · NTSB DCA21LA184 · Final report

Airbus A321-211 accident near Romulus, Michigan, July 22, 2021

On July 22, 2021 at about 12:54 pm local time, a 2019 Airbus A321-211, registered N376DN, was involved in an accident during taxi near Romulus, Michigan (Detroit Metropolitan Wayne Cou airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 193 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

While conducting the safety briefing, the forward flight attendant was thrown backwards into the flight deck door due to the sudden stopping of the airplane by the flight crew to prevent a collision with a bus. Contributing to this accident was the bus drivers difficultly in observing the airplane moving towards the roadway.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
July 22, 2021 · about 12:54 pm local time
Place
Romulus, Michigan · Detroit Metropolitan Wayne Cou · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
1 person was seriously injured; 193 others were unhurt.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Airbus A321-211, built 2019 · all A321-211s on the register
Registration
N376DN · registry record · serial 8858
Damage
Not recorded
Flight
Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

According to the flight crew, just after they began to taxi, they observed a bus passing in front of the airplane requiring the captain to suddenly apply the brakes to avoid colliding with the bus. The captain immediately called the flight attendants (FA), who were conducting their safety demonstration, to check on their condition and the condition of the passengers. The forward FA indicated that he had been thrown backwards into the flight deck door but was alright to continue with the flight. While enroute to Denver, the forward FA informed the flight crew that he was a little sore, but he and the rest of the FAs were fine to continue their return flight to Detroit. However, after arriving in Detroit, the forward flight attendant sought medical treatment and was diagnosed with a broken rib. According to the operator, the Delta employee bus was in the process of training new drivers. There are four roadways that cross the taxi lanes between the two terminals. At the time of the accident, the only policy was to stop at the stop sign and visually confirm it was safe to cross the taxi lanes. A review of video from the bus showed that it stopped at the stop sign and then proceeded to cross the taxi lanes. The video shows that from the perspective of the bus driver, it is difficult to see the area in which the airplane was parked from the roadway and the 45-degree pushback made it difficult to observe the airplane moving towards the roadway. As a result of this event, Delta implemented a restriction on vehicle crossing the taxi lanes when there are airplanes in the vicinity of the roadway.

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

  1. Abrupt maneuver during taxi defining event

The NTSB's findings

  • Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Other
  • Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
  • Personnel issues › Physical › (general) › (general) › Cabin crew

Pilot

  • Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
  • Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
  • Flight time: 9,931 hours in all; 5,748 in this make and model; 166 in the last 90 days
  • Medical certificate: Class 1
  • Seat: left
  • Injury: no injuries

Co-pilot

  • Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
  • Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
  • Flight time: 3,676 hours in all; 3,676 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days
  • Medical certificate: Class 1
  • Seat: rgt
  • Injury: no injuries

Cabin Crew

  • Seat: left
  • Injury: serious injuries

Cabin Crew

  • Seat: left
  • Injury: no injuries

Cabin Crew

  • Seat: left
  • Injury: no injuries

Cabin Crew

  • Seat: left
  • Injury: minor injuries

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 6,877 hours
  • Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 2, 2021
  • Maximum gross weight: 196,211 lb
  • Seats: 200
  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Engine 1: Cfm Intl CFM56-5B3/3 (turbofan); 0 hours total
  • Engine 2: Cfm Intl CFM56-5B3/3 (turbofan); 0 hours total
  • Operator: Delta Air Lines INC

The flight

  • Destination: DEN Denver CO
  • Flight plan: IFR

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Visibility: 10 statute miles
  • Sky: broken clouds at 16,000 ft; a few clouds
  • Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 51°F (11°C)
  • Altimeter: 30.24 inHg
  • Observation at 8:53 am from DTW

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew15
Passengers188

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 19, 2022. 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.

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.