What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 3, 2012 at approximately 1237 EST a delta MD-88 flight 181 from laguarida was taxing to the mcnamara terminal gate A-51. It was on the outer taxi line (uniform 7) passing by the fleet service building, # 820 and struck a bus that had been parked out side the zipper line at the building. The aircraft left wing tip and number 5 slat hit the bus, which was over turned as the aircraft taxied. The crew stopped the aircraft and noted something wrong and made a call requesting maintenance to come look at the aircraft prior to further taxi (suspecting a blown tire). Maintenance came to the aircraft and noted the bus that was on its side, the left wing tip damage, and damage to the number 5 slat. Wayne metro airport police performed interviews with the bus driver, both the flight and cabin crew. The bus driver indicated he had parked the bus out side the zipper line (an unauthorized location) to go into building # 820 for a restroom break. When he left the bus he did not notice any aircraft movement on the ramp. Upon his return he noted the bus on its side and shortly there after, emergency personnel responding. The bus was a 2006 champion passenger bus registered to metor cars inc., in taylor, Michigan. The bus sustained multiple areas of damage, and had a large gouge near the top rear driver's side, along with damage to the passenger's side. The damage to the left side of the bus increases going aft, the direction the aircraft was traveling. The windshield was also broken; in addition there was fuel and oil spilled. There were no passengers on the bus at the time of the incident. The flight had been cleared to taxi in on U7, the original gate assigned was A53 but it was occupied thus was change to A51. During the taxi in the first officer was starting the APU. Prior to stopping the aircraft both the captain and first officer indicated feeling a "thump" and the aircraft yawed left. None of the three flight attendants on the aircraft observe the incident, but did describe the sound and feeling of hitting a pothole. The flight attendant in the forward position did not feel the aircraft yaw after the impact; however did hear the impact. The other two flight attendants were seated in the aft of the aircraft and indicated that thy felt the aircraft go left upon impact. All three indicated that none of the passengers made any complaints of injuries. The inspector on site of the incident was the first contacted able to perform on site duties. The investigation was passed on to a different inspector on Monday the 5th of March 2012.correspondence with the NTSB investigator indicated that the damage was not substantial per part 830, thus an incident. NTSB id is dca 12 na 037.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 3, 2012 AT APPROXIMATELY 1237 EST A DELTA MD-88 FLIGHT 181 FROM LAGUARIDA WAS TAXING TO THE MCNAMARA TERMINAL GATE A-51. IT WAS ON THE OUTER TAXI LINE (UNIFORM 7) PASSING BY THE FLEET SERVICE BUILDING, # 820 AND STRUCK A BUS THAT HAD BEEN PARKED OUT SIDE THE ZIPPER LINE AT THE BUILDING. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT WING TIP AND NUMBER 5 SLAT HIT THE BUS, WHICH WAS OVER TURNED AS THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED. THE CREW STOPPED THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTED SOMETHING WRONG AND MADE A CALL REQUESTING MAINTENANCE TO COME LOOK AT THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO FURTHER TAXI (SUSPECTING A BLOWN TIRE). MAINTENANCE CAME TO THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTED THE BUS THAT WAS ON ITS SIDE, THE LEFT WING TIP DAMAGE, AND DAMAGE TO THE NUMBER 5 SLAT.WAYNE METRO AIRPORT POLICE PERFORMED INTERVIEWS WITH THE BUS DRIVER, BOTH THE FLIGHT AND CABIN CREW. THE BUS DRIVER INDICATED HE HAD PARKED THE BUS OUT SIDE THE ZIPPER LINE (AN UNAUTHORIZED LOCATION) TO GO INTO BUILDING # 820 FOR A RESTROOM BREAK. WHEN HE LEFT THE BUS HE DID NOT NOTICE ANY AIRCRAFT MOVEMENT ON THE RAMP. UPON HIS RETURN HE NOTED THE BUS ON ITS SIDE AND SHORTLY THERE AFTER, EMERGENCY PERSONNEL RESPONDING. THE BUS WAS A 2006 CHAMPION PASSENGER BUS REGISTERED TO METOR CARS INC., IN TAYLOR, MICHIGAN. THE BUS SUSTAINED MULTIPLE AREAS OF DAMAGE, AND HAD A LARGE GOUGE NEAR THE TOP REAR DRIVER'S SIDE, ALONG WITH DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. THE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BUS INCREASES GOING AFT, THE DIRECTION THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING. THE WINDSHIELD WAS ALSO BROKEN; IN ADDITION THERE WAS FUEL AND OIL SPILLED. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ON THE BUS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN CLEARED TO TAXI IN ON U7, THE ORIGINAL GATE ASSIGNED WAS A53 BUT IT WAS OCCUPIED THUS WAS CHANGE TO A51. DURING THE TAXI IN THE FIRST OFFICER WAS STARTING THE APU. PRIOR TO STOPPING THE AIRCRAFT BOTH THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER INDICATED FEELING A "THUMP" AND THE AIRCRAFT YAWED LEFT. NONE OF THE THREE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ON THE AIRCRAFT OBSERVE THE INCIDENT, BUT DID DESCRIBE THE SOUND AND FEELING OF HITTING A POTHOLE. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT IN THE FORWARD POSITION DID NOT FEEL THE AIRCRAFT YAW AFTER THE IMPACT; HOWEVER DID HEAR THE IMPACT. THE OTHER TWO FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE SEATED IN THE AFT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND INDICATED THAT THY FELT THE AIRCRAFT GO LEFT UPON IMPACT.ALL THREE INDICATED THAT NONE OF THE PASSENGERS MADE ANY COMPLAINTS OF INJURIES.THE INSPECTOR ON SITE OF THE INCIDENT WAS THE FIRST CONTACTED ABLE TO PERFORM ON SITE DUTIES. THE INVESTIGATION WAS PASSED ON TO A DIFFERENT INSPECTOR ON MONDAY THE 5TH OF MARCH 2012.CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR INDICATED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS NOT SUBSTANTIAL PER PART 830, THUS AN INCIDENT. NTSB ID IS DCA 12 NA 037.