Lockheed L-1011 accident near Jamaica, New York, March 27, 1997
On March 27, 1997 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Lockheed L-1011, registered N762DA, was involved in an accident near Jamaica, New York (John F. Kennedy Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 202 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the right wing walker, also the push back supervisor, to identify and avoid a hazardous condition, which resulted in his activity near the airplane's nose wheel during tow operations, and where he was subsequently caught under the nose wheel. A factor in the accident was the failure of the Delta Ground Operations Manual to provide adequate safety information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 1997 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Jamaica, New York · John F. Kennedy Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 202 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lockheed L-1011
- Registration
- N762DA · no longer on the register · serial 193Y-1210
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The L-1011 was pushed back from the gate by a groundcrew of 3 employees. The tug operator was seated facing the airplane, while wing walkers were placed at the left and right wing tips. The tug operator then looked over his right shoulder to pull the airplane forward, to align it with the center line of the taxiway. During this movement, he maintained visual contact with the left wing walker. When the forward motion was initiated, the left and right wing walkers started to converge towards the tow bar, anticipating the disconnect of the airplane when it stopped. The left wing walker observed the right wing walker, the designated Dispatch Agent (DA) for the flight, approach the tow bar. The left wing walker glanced at the left wing tip, and when his vision returned to the tow bar, the right wing walker was under the nose wheel of the airplane with the tug operator's headset cord. The Delta Ground Operations Manual 10-043 (GOM), did not specify where members of the pushback crew should be positioned during the pushback to ensure safety. The GOM also did not discuss any potential hazards associated with aircraft movement and engine operation. The DA, usually one of the two wing walkers, was expected to remain in view of the tug driver and in view of the flight crew during the pushback maneuver. Also, the DA was required to monitor the pushback, and 'be prepared to act on any signals from the wing walkers.' The company published new procedures as a result of the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,300 hours in all; 1,622 in this make and model; 173 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 510,000 lb
- Seats: 286
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB-211-22 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JFK
- Destination: NCE Nice
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from JFK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 13 | |||
| Passengers | 189 |
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.
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.