- Date
- June 19, 2010, 18:11 local (22:11 UTC)
- Place
- New York, NY
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N3730BBoeing 737
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) not oper: Ground handling event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 76628
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
a baggage cart impacting the airplane and causing substantial damage as a result of the jet blast from a passing airplane.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to a company flight safety investigator, the aircraft was parked at the gate while the first officer and four flight attendants were aboard preparing for the upcoming flight. Baggage handlers on the ramp were loading baggage onto the aircraft when the jet blast from a taxing Boeing 767-400ER blew an empty baggage cart from its parked position, which collided with the left side of the aft service panel, causing a 15 by 18 in puncture through the aircraft skin and severing two stringers.According to the baggage handler, after he had staged the empty baggage cart into location among two other carts, he "made sure that it was locked" by giving the cart a "push" from the left side. He stated that the cart did not "budge" after he pushed it. A video of the accident showed the cart being blown from the jet blast as it travelled across the ramp and impacted the left side of the aircraft. The other two baggage carts remained unmoved.
Factual narrative
According to a company flight safety investigator, the aircraft was parked at the gate while the first officer and four flight attendants were aboard preparing for the upcoming flight. Baggage handlers on the ramp were loading baggage onto the aircraft when the jet blast from a taxing Boeing 767-400ER blew an empty baggage cart from its parked position, which collided with the left side of the aft service panel, causing a 15 by 18 in puncture through the aircraft skin and severing two stringers. According to the baggage handler, after he had staged the empty baggage cart into location among two other carts, he "made sure that it was locked" by giving the cart a "push" from the left side. He stated that the cart did not "budge" after he pushed it. A video of the accident showed the cart being blown from the jet blast as it travelled across the ramp and impacted the left side of the aircraft. The other two baggage carts remained unmoved.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3730B
- Reported as
- Boeing 737 (832)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30538
- Airframe hours
- 25,854
- Engines
- CFM CFM56 7B, 26,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanCFM56 7B, 26,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Air Lines, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Delta Air Lines, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 6, 2010
- Departed
- KJFK · New York, NY
- Destination
- KSLC · Salt Lake City, UT
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KJFK · John F. Kennedy 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
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Last flight review
- January 29, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 13,599 total · 7,427 in this make and model · 7,484 as pilot in command · 172 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KJFK
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 12, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
Other investigations on N3730B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.