# NTSB ANC04IA058: Boeing 757-251, N550NW, Anchorage, AK, May 31, 2004 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · Minor injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: May 31, 2004, 14:13 local (22:13 UTC) - Place: Anchorage, AK - Coordinates: 61.174446, -149.996383 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.1744&lon=-149.9964&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 187 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 28, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03 - NTSB case key (mKey): 59358 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC04IA058 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/59358/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC04IA058 ## Probable cause The failure of the flight attendant to follow the appropriate door opening procedure by remaining clear of the door handle when the passenger door was opened from the outside by customer service personnel, which resulted in a wrist injury to the flight attendant when she was struck by the door handle. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Miscellaneous/other, standing - engine(s) not operating - procedures/directives - not followed, flight attendant (cause) - door,passenger - activated ## Analysis After a Boeing 757-251 airplane arrived at a terminal gate and was parked, a flight attendant went to door 2L of the aircraft. The customer service agent (CSA) positioned outside the airplane on the jetway knocked on the door. This is the signal to the flight attendant that the door will be opened, if the flight attendant provides a visible "thumbs-up" signal to the agent on the jetway. The flight attendant reported that in response to the knock, she gave a thumbs-up, and stepped away from the door. The door did not open, but she heard a second knock. The flight attendant gave a second thumbs-up through the cabin door window. As she was giving the signal, the door handle came down on her wrist. The CSA reported that after his first knock, he did not receive a thumbs-up, and knocked a second time. The flight attendant inside the airplane then gave a thumbs-up signal. The CSA then opened the airplane door from the outside. During the door opening procedure, the inside handle of the door struck the flight attendant on the forearm. The flight attendant was taken to a local hospital where she was initially diagnosed with a fractured wrist. On June 23, 2004, the operator informed the NTSB Investigator-In-Charge that the injured flight attendant had a follow-up examination with her own physician in Minnesota. The physician took additional x-rays of the injured wrist and determined that it was not broken, but had sustained a sprain. The flight attendant continued to have pain, and had a magnetic resonance image (MRI) of her wrist on July 2, 2004, which was normal. Airline personnel provided a copy of their cabin operating standards, which states, in part: "To prepare cabin door for opening; 1. CSA knocks on door and awaits "thumbs-up" signal from FA. 2. FA gives thumbs-up signal to CSA to indicate that door is disarmed and safe to open. 3. CSA opens cabin door after FA moves hands clear of door." Additional information provided by the airline indicated that the door opening procedure precludes a second thumbs-up signal unless the CSA knocks a second time. ## Factual narrative On May 31, 2004, about 1413 Alaska daylight time (ADT), a cabin crewmember received a minor injury during the cabin door-opening procedure of a Boeing 757-251 airplane, N550NW, after parking at Gate B-10 of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as an instrument flight rules (IFR) scheduled domestic passenger flight under Title 14, CFR Part 121, when the incident occurred. The airplane, operated as Flight 843 by Northwest Airlines Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota, was not damaged. The 2 airline transport certificated pilots, 4 other cabin crewmembers, and the 181 passengers, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. An IFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Minneapolis International Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota, at 0850 ADT. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on June 1, 2004, an air safety investigator with Northwest Airlines reported that after the airplane parked at the gate, the flight attendant was positioned at door 2L. The customer service agent (CSA) positioned outside the airplane on the jetway knocked on the door. This is the signal to the flight attendant that the door will be opened, if the flight attendant provides a visible "thumbs-up" signal to the agent on the jetway. The flight attendant reported that in response to the knock, she gave a thumbs-up, and stepped away from the door. The door did not open, but she heard a second knock. The flight attendant gave a second thumbs-up through the cabin door window. As she was giving the signal, the door handle came down on her wrist. The jetway gate agent reported that after his first knock, he did not receive a thumbs-up, and knocked a second time. The flight attendant inside the airplane then gave a thumbs-up signal. The agent then opened the airplane door from the outside. During the door opening procedure, the inside handle of the door struck the flight attendant on the forearm. The flight attendant was taken to a local hospital in Anchorage, where she was initally diagnosed with a fractured wrist. Her wrist was placed in a temporary splint. On June 23, the Northwest Airlines investigator informed the NTSB IIC that the injured flight attendant had a follow-up examination with her own physician in Minnesota. The physician took additional x-rays of the injured wrist and determined that it was not broken, but had sustained a sprain. The flight attendant continued to have pain, and had a magnetic resonance image (MRI) of her wrist on July 2, 2004, which was normal. The flight attendant did not return to work until July 11, 2004. Northwest Airlines personnel provided a copy of their cabin operating standards, which states, in part: "To prepare cabin door for opening; 1. CSA knocks on door and awaits "thumbs-up" signal from FA (flight attendant). 2. FA gives thumbs-up signal to CSA to indicate that door is disarmed and safe to open. 3. CSA opens cabin door after FA moves hands clear of door." Additional information provided by Northwest Airlines indicated that the door opening procedure precludes a second thumbs-up signal unless the CSA knocks a second time. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N550NW](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N550NW), registered now, S/N 26497, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Boeing 757-251 - Registry model: [Boeing 757-251](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-757-251) (registry code 1384970) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PW2037](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pw2037) (registry code 52117, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 26497 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney PW2040 37500 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Northwest Airlines Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: MSP, MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Destination: PANC, Anchorage, AK - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: PANC, Anchorage International ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor, airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim. - Co-pilot; age 57; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 140° at 13 knots, gusting 21 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 7,500 ft overcast - Temperature: 54 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 29.81 inHg - Observed at: PANC ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 20040531010539I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040531010539I), May 31, 2004: Boeing 757251, Anchorage, AK. (-23) Northwest gate agent opened aircraft door 1L, while flight attendant still had her hand on the handle. The flight attendant sustained a fractured wrist. ## Other investigations on N550NW (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC03FA039](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC03FA039), Jan 19, 2003: Boeing 757-251 (N550NW), Flushing, NY, substantial damage. Probable cause: Maintenance personnel failure to maintain aircraft control as a result of excessive throttle input. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- 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.