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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 1996 · about 4:45 am local time · cases in 1996
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · Seattle-Tacoma Intl · cases near this airport · 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 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N941AS on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Mcdonnell Douglas 254 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W JT8D-217 82 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Seattle-Tacoma International · nearest airport
- Los Angeles International · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 362 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,580 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA97IA040.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.