- Date
- September 26, 2018, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Dallas, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 185 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Prior to flight
- Aircraft
- N994ANAirbus A321
- Defining event
- Prior to flight: Cabin safety event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 8, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 98375
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 passenger leaving a bag in the aisle that the flight attendant tripped over.
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
On September 26, 2018, at about 1200 CDT, American Airlines flight 2308, an Airbus A321, N994AN, was still at the gate at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, when a flight attendant tripped over a bag and injured her ankle. Of the 186 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant received a serious injury. The flight was scheduled to operate under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a domestic passenger flight from DFW to Sacramento International Airport (SMF), Sacramento, California. The injury occurred after the main cabin door had been closed but before the airplane had been pushed back. The injured flight attendant was unable to walk and was assisted off the airplane after the jet bridge was repositioned. The fight attendant was transported to an local urgent care facility where she was diagnosed with a broken ankle.
Factual narrative
On September 26, 2018, at about 1200 CDT, American Airlines flight 2308, an Airbus A321, N994AN, was still at the gate at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, when a flight attendant tripped over a bag and injured her ankle. Of the 186 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant received a serious injury. The flight was scheduled to operate under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a domestic passenger flight from DFW to Sacramento International Airport (SMF), Sacramento, California. The injury occurred after the main cabin door had been closed but before the airplane had been pushed back. The injured flight attendant was unable to walk and was assisted off the airplane after the jet bridge was repositioned. The fight attendant was transported to an local urgent care facility where she was diagnosed with a broken ankle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N994AN
- Reported as
- Airbus A321 (231)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7407
- Built
- 2016
- Engines
- IAE V2533-A5, turbo fanIAE V2533-A5, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- American Airlines Inc
- Registered owner
- American Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- DFW · DFW Airport, TX
- Destination
- SMF · Sacramento, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DFW · Dallas-Fort Worth Intl
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 10, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 6,309 total · 1,174 in this make and model · 1,146 as pilot in command · 175.5 in the last 90 days · 50.1 in the last 30 days · 8.1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 5, 2018
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 884 total · 884 in this make and model · 190.3 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 8.1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 16 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KDFW
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 21, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 495 KB in all.