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19990211019789I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Boeing 757-251 · Minneapolis, MN · February 11, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 11, 1999 · 07:45 local
Place
Minneapolis, MN
Airport
Minneapolis-St Paul International-Wold
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
NWAA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N538US
Reported as
Boeing 757251
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,803 total1,608 in this make and model130 in the last 90 days
N538USRegistration cancelled Apr 7, 2025 · Boeing 757-251S/N 26485 · Built 1996Airframe modelBoeing 757-251Engine modelPratt & Whitney PW2037Turbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On February 11, 1999, at about 7:45 a.m. standard time, a Boeing 757-251, N538US, operated by northwest airlines, inc. (nwa) as flight 348 msp-dca, collided with an nwa-operated deicing truck. The collision occurred on the runway 12L remote deicing pad after deicing of the aircraft had been completed. The aircraft's right wing struck the extended boom of the deicing truck which was positioned at the center of the right wing leading edge. The enclosed bucket on the extended boom contacted the ground, causing minor injuries to the bucket operator, whose safety harness was secured. The truck driver also sustained minor injuries during egress from the truck. The aircraft's leading edge slat, which was extended in the takeoff configuration, was damaged. No passengers or crewmembers were injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, with overcast skies, light freezing rain, and northwest winds at 15 knots gusting to 22 knots. The flight was operated under 14 CFR 121, with an intended destination of Washington national airport. Significant changes in deicing pad communications have been completed. This report is closed.

As the FAA filed it

ON FEBRUARY 11, 1999, AT ABOUT 7:45 A.M. STANDARD TIME, A BOEING 757-251, N538US, OPERATED BY NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC. (NWA) AS FLIGHT 348 MSP-DCA, COLLIDED WITH AN NWA-OPERATED DEICING TRUCK. THE COLLISION OCCURRED ON THE RUNWAY 12L REMOTE DEICING PAD AFTER DEICING OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN COMPLETED. THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT WING STRUCK THE EXTENDED BOOM OF THE DEICING TRUCK WHICH WAS POSITIONED AT THE CENTER OF THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE. THE ENCLOSED BUCKET ON THE EXTENDED BOOM CONTACTED THE GROUND, CAUSING MINOR INJURIES TO THE BUCKET OPERATOR, WHOSE SAFETY HARNESS WAS SECURED. THE TRUCK DRIVER ALSO SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES DURING EGRESS FROM THE TRUCK. THE AIRCRAFT'S LEADING EDGE SLAT, WHICH WAS EXTENDED IN THE TAKEOFF CONFIGURATION, WAS DAMAGED. NO PASSENGERS OR CREWMEMBERS WERE INJURED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, WITH OVERCAST SKIES, LIGHT FREEZING RAIN, AND NORTHWEST WINDS AT 15 KNOTS GUSTING TO 22 KNOTS. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR 121, WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN DEICING PAD COMMUNICATIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. THIS REPORT IS CLOSED.