Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80 incident near Seattle, Washington, December 21, 1996
On December 21, 1996 at about 4:45 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80, registered N941AS, suffered minor damage in an incident near Seattle, Washington (Seattle-Tacoma Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 144 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the left wing walker to verify the clearance between the left wing and the fuel truck during taxi, and his delay in signaling the lead marshaller to alert the pilot to stop the aircraft prior to impact. Factors contributing to the incident include congested ramp facilities, inadequate ramp markings, rain, and dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 1996 · about 4:45 am local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · Seattle-Tacoma Intl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 144 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80
- Registration
- N941AS · registry record · serial 49925
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft was taxiing into a gate area in close proximity to another parked aircraft, a fuel truck, a building, and a jetway. The end of the truck was overhanging into a designated safety zone. The left wing walker who was assisting in guiding the airplane into the ramp was standing in a position which allowed his view of the left wing tip to be obstructed by the fuel truck. The wing walker stated that he gave the emergency stop signal to the lead marshaler when he noticed that the left wing tip light disappeared behind the fuel truck. The lead marshaler immediately gave the stop signal to the pilot, but the airplane continued to roll during the pilot's reaction and braking. The left wing leading edge slat impacted the rear of the fuel truck and slat's skin was dented. Rain and dark night conditions prevailed at the time. The fuel truck had been struck in another incident by the same aircraft type while parked at the same gate. The gate's ramp was congested, and was marked by painted lines that were faded and difficult to discern under artificially-lighted, wet conditions at night.
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: 15,529 hours in all; 7,319 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 9,824 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 22,423 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 20, 1996; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 149,500 lb
- Seats: 137
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-217 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAX Los Angeles CA
- Destination: SEA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 139 |
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 SEA97IA040.