- Date
- November 28, 2002, 21:25 local (Nov 29, 2002, 03:25 UTC)
- Place
- Minneapolis, MN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 42 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N324USAirbus Industrie A320-211
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - Minneapolis CMO
- FAA report
- 20021128035329A
- Case key
- 56165
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The cabin flight crew not verifying the galley service cart had been properly stowed prior to departure, which resulted in the inadvertent deployment of the galley service cart during initial climb after takeoff.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A flight attendant was seriously injured when struck by a galley service cart during initial climb after takeoff. According to company personnel, the galley service cart was not secured properly prior to departure and became detached from the forward galley during climb out. The galley service cart traveled down the center aisle and struck a flight attendant in the aft galley, fracturing his ankle. No anomalies were found with the galley service cart or the galley in which it was stationed prior to takeoff. All restraint levers were intact and functioned as designed.
Factual narrative
On November 28, 2002, at 2125 central standard time, a flight attendant was seriously injured when struck by a galley service cart during initial climb from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Airbus Industrie A320-211, N324US, was operated by Northwest Airlines as flight 575 under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 121. The remaining flight crew and 38 passengers reported no injuries. The flight departed MSP at 2106 and was en route to Sacramento, California, at the time of the accident. The flight returned to MSP and landed without further incident.
According to company personnel, the galley service cart was not secured properly prior to departure and became detached from the forward galley during climb out. The galley service cart traveled down the center aisle and struck a flight attendant in the aft galley, fracturing his ankle.
No anomalies were found with the galley service cart or the galley in which it was stationed prior to takeoff. All restraint levers were intact and functioned as designed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N324US
- Reported as
- Airbus Industrie A320-211
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 273
- Airframe hours
- 35,133
- Engines
- CFM International CFM56-5-A1, 25,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanCFM International CFM56-5-A1, 25,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Northwest Airlines Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 13, 2002 · 2,499 hours before
- Departed
- MSP · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- SMF · Sacramento, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- November 16, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 10,257 total · 1,942 in this make and model · 6,472 as pilot in command · 178 in the last 90 days · 87 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 21, 2002
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,617 total · 127 in this make and model · 104 in the last 90 days · 51 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 240° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.54 inHg
- Observed at
- MSP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.