- Date
- January 8, 2020, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- New York, NY
- Injuries
- 121 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N929NNBoeing 737
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) not oper: Ground collision
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 100791
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
failure of the deicing truck driver to maintain appropriate clearance from the airplane.
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 January 8, 2020, about 0630 eastern standard time, American Airlines flight 2632, a Boeing 737-823, N929NN, was damaged by a deicing truck. There were no injuries to the 2 pilots, 4 flight attendants, or 115 passengers on board. The airplane received substantial damage. The regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from LaGuardia Airport, New York, New York, to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas, Texas. The captain stated that while sitting at gate C7 performing preflight duties he felt the aircraft "shudder". He stated that the first officer then looked out the window on his side and noticed a deicing truck behind the right wing. As he continued observing the first officer said they felt the airplane shudder again as the deicing truck pulled out from under the wing.
Factual narrative
On January 8, 2020, about 0630 eastern standard time, American Airlines flight 2632, a Boeing 737-823, N929NN, was damaged by a deicing truck. There were no injuries to the 2 pilots, 4 flight attendants, or 115 passengers on board. The airplane received substantial damage. The regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from LaGuardia Airport, New York, New York, to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas, Texas. The captain stated that while sitting at gate C7 performing preflight duties he felt the aircraft "shudder". He stated that the first officer then looked out the window on his side and noticed a deicing truck behind the right wing. As he continued observing the first officer said they felt the airplane shudder again as the deicing truck pulled out from under the wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N929NN
- Reported as
- Boeing 737 (823)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 33322
- Built
- 2013
- Engines
- CFM 56-7B, turbo fanCFM 56-7B, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- American Airlines
- Registered owner
- Wells Fargo Trust Co Na Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- KLGA · New York, NY
- Destination
- KDFW · Dallas, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KLGA · LaGuardia Airport
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, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 12, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 8,685 total · 6,758 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 30, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,463 total · 1,463 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 14, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 MB in all.