- Date
- October 21, 2015, 17:56 local (22:56 UTC)
- Place
- Dallas, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 166 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N183ANBoeing 757 223
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) not oper: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 92219
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 disabled passenger not being properly secured during the transfer from the aisle chair causing him to slide to floor and receive a serious injury.
Findings · 1
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 report, after boarding all other passengers, gate agents proceeded with boarding a quadriplegic passenger who required assistance and use of an aisle chair to be moved to his seat on the airplane. A seatbelt and additional belts across the passenger's chest were used to secure him in the aisle chair while moving him onboard. When the belts were removed in order to transfer the passenger from the aisle chair to the airplane seat the passenger slid to the floor. The passenger was then lifted into his seat by the gate agents. According to crew statements, after the gate agents left the airplane and the jetway had been retracted, a flight attendant (FA) observed that the passenger appeared to be injured and the crew requested emergency services. The passenger was transported to a hospital and diagnosed with a broken right tibia.
Factual narrative
According to a company report, after boarding all other passengers, gate agents proceeded with boarding a quadriplegic passenger who required assistance and use of an aisle chair to be moved to his seat on the airplane. A seatbelt and additional belts across the passenger's chest were used to secure him in the aisle chair while moving him onboard. When the belts were removed in order to transfer the passenger from the aisle chair to the airplane seat the passenger slid to the floor. The passenger was then lifted into his seat by the gate agents. According to crew statements, after the gate agents left the airplane and the jetway had been retracted, a flight attendant (FA) observed that the passenger appeared to be injured and the crew requested emergency services. The passenger was transported to a hospital and diagnosed with a broken right tibia.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N183AN
- Reported as
- Boeing 757 223 (223)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 29593
- Built
- 1999
- Engines
- Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES, turbo fanRolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- American Airlines Inc
- Registered owner
- American Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- DFW · Dallas, TX
- Destination
- MCO · Orlando, FL
- Airport
- DFW · Dallas / Ft Worth
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,468 total · 807 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,876 total · 650 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
- Wind
- 110° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KDFW
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 8, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.