Mcdonnell Douglas Aircraft CO MD-88 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, October 7, 2011
On October 7, 2011 at about 11:26 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas Aircraft CO MD-88, registered N922DL, was substantially damaged in an accident during pushback/towing near Atlanta, Georgia (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 81 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The tug driver's inadequate control of the tug while maneuvering the airplane during pushback.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 2011 · about 11:26 am local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 81 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Aircraft CO MD-88 · all MD-88s on the register
- Registration
- N922DL · no longer on the register · serial 49646
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the tug driver, during pushback of the airplane from the gate, he turned the airplane early in order to avoid an airplane at an adjacent gate. He further stated that he did not straighten the tug in time, and it impacted the left side of the airplane he was pushing, which resulted in substantial damage to airplane's nose landing gear support beam and a puncture in the pressure vessel. According to the pilot of the flight, during pushback, the airplane overshot the centerline and was being moved back to the centerline when he observed the tug continue aft and then heard a metallic sound. The pilot further stated that the pushback did not appear to be too fast and that there appeared to be only minor directional control problems with the tug until the impact.
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/towing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Towing and taxiing › Towing › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Ground crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,903 hours in all; 6,614 in this make and model; 171 in the last 90 days; 4,061 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 19, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,970 hours in all; 2,970 in this make and model; 222 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: July 15, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 62,135 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 6, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 149,500 lb
- Seats: 142
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P & W JT8D-219 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P & W JT8D-219 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Air Lines INC
The flight
- Departed from: ATL Atlanta GA at 11:26 am
- Destination: CMH Columbus OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 am from ATL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 76 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ERA12CA038.