Boeing 757-200 accident near Seattle, Washington, March 2, 2002
On March 2, 2002 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Boeing 757-200, registered N589UA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Seattle, Washington (Seattle/Tacoma Int. airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 90 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 deicing truck driver to insure that the deicing basket boom remained clear of the aircraft structure as he backed away from the position he had been in while performing deicing procedures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2002 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · Seattle/Tacoma Int. · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 90 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-200 · all 757-200s on the register
- Registration
- N589UA · no longer on the register · serial 28707
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After completing deicing procedures on a company Boeing 757-200, the driver of the deicing truck maneuvered his truck in a manner that caused the deicing basket boom to impact the trailing edge of the aircraft's left aileron. The boom penetrated the aileron to a depth of almost two feet and damaged its spar. The investigation revealed that while backing out from his position behind the aircraft's left wing, the driver had inadvertently turned his steering wheel in a direction that caused the boom, which is mounted on the back end of the truck, to converge on the trailing edge of the aileron.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,600 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 31, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,618 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 11, 2001; 1,668 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 240,000 lb
- Seats: 191
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB-211-535C (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEA Seattle WA
- Destination: ORD Chigago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.50 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from KSEA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 83 |
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.