# Incident 20081215855079I: Doug DC951, Minot, ND, December 15, 2008

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 15, 2008, 16:25 local time
- Place: Minot, ND
- Airport: Minot International
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: NWAA
- Location: 48.2576° N, 101.2780° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MINOT INTL (MOT), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.2576&lon=-101.2780&mi=10
- Aircraft: N762NC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N762NC-2018-12-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-51 (registry code 3022051, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-dc-9-51) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17 series (registry code 52049, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-17-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DOUG DC951
- People aboard: 115
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 9,265 total, 2,573 in this make and model, 180 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20081215855079I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) DURING TAXI TO THE RAMP AFTER A NORMAL LANDING, THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER ON NORTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT 1471 HAD DIFFICULTY DISTINGUISHING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE RAMP AND THE RAMP MARKINGS TO ASSIST THEM WHILE NAVIGATING TO THE GATE DUE TO COMPACTED SNOW.  WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE LEAD-IN LINE, THE CAPTAIN STEERED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE GATE, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE OBSECURED RAMP MARKINGS, THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE RAMP AND ENDED UP ON A NON-PAVED AREA OF COMPACTED SNOW (GRASSY AREA DURING SUMMER MONTHS).  TO AVOID ANY DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, THE CAPTAIN ELECTED TO STOP THE TAXI, SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES AND DEPLANE PASSENGERS ONTO THE RAMP VIA THE AFT AIR-STAIRS.  WHEN THE RAMP WAS CLEARED OF SNOW BEFORE THE FLIGHT'S ARRIVAL, PERSONNEL PUSHED THE SNOW FROM THE RAMP FAR PAST THE RAMP BOUNDARY, GIVING THE FALSE ILLUSION THAT THE RAMP WAS LARGER THAN IT ACTUALLY WAS.  THEREFORE, THE CREW MISJUDGED THE RAMP BOUNDARY DURING TAXI AND TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RAMP.

## Other reports on N762NC (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19910318009599I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910318009599I), Mar 18, 1991: Doug DC951 (N762NC), Milwaukee, WI. Right engine power loss and compressor stall takeoff. Aborted. Crew observed flames and smoke from engine.
- [Incident 19880418024589I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880418024589I), Apr 18, 1988: Doug DC951 (N762NC), Memphis, TN, Minor damage. Powered back from gate then stowed thrust reversers. Late signal to come forward. Rolled backward. Hit aircraft.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.