- Date
- December 7, 1997, 13:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Memphis, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 126 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Pushback/towing
- Aircraft
- N774NCMcDonnell Douglas DC-9-50
- Weather
- Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971207043229A
- Case key
- 10801
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 flight attendant lost his balance during pushback and struck his head on a galley door.
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
The captain and a ground handler reported that pushback was normal. The captain was then informed that the lead flight attendant had been injured and was complaining of dizziness and nausea. The airplane was returned to the gate. The flight attendant reported that as the aircraft was being pushed back, it jerked, and he hit his head on a galley door. He received medical attention, and initial indication was that he had received a concussion and torn muscles to the neck and head.
Factual narrative
On December 7, 1997, at 1340 central standard time, the lead flight attendant of a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50, N774NC, operated by Northwest Airlines, was seriously injured when the airplane was pushed back from a gate. The 14 CFR Part 121 Flight 807 was being pushed back from a gate at the Memphis International Airport, Memphis, Tennessee. The intended destination was Nashville International Airport, Nashville, Tennessee. When the tug vehicle stopped, the flight attendant lost his balance and hit his head on a galley door. The flight attendant received serious injuries and was taken to a hospital. Neither of the pilots, the two other flight attendants, or 122 passengers were injured.
The captain reported that the pushback was normal. When he was informed that the lead flight attendant had been injured and was complaining of dizziness and nausea, the airplane was returned to the gate.
An aircraft ground handler reported that the airplane was pushed back in the normal manner. After the airplane was disconnected, he was informed that the airplane was returning to the gate due to an injured flight attendant.
The flight attendant reported that as the aircraft was being pushed back, it jerked and he hit his head on a galley door. The airplane was returned to the gate where he received medical attention. The initial indication was that he had received a concussion and torn muscles to the neck and head.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N774NC
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 47776
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-17, 14,000 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Northwest Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- MEM
- Destination
- BNA · Nashville, TN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MEM · Memphis International
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,949 total · 7,383 in this make and model · 132 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Not reported
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.