- Date
- September 1, 2021, 03:29 local (10:29 UTC)
- Place
- Seattle, WA · Taxiway
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 37 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N196DNBoeing 767-332
- Defining event
- Standing: Preflight or dispatch event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- Delta Air Lines
- Case key
- 103969
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 flightcrew’s failure to set the hydraulic panel correctly during the execution of the pushback checklist, and when the hydraulic panel setting was corrected, that resulted in the airplane coming to a sudden stop and a flight attendant receiving a serious injury.
Findings · 3
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
Delta Air Lines flight 845 stopped abruptly during pushback at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Seattle, Washington, resulting in a flight attendant falling and receiving a serious injury. According to the operator, the captain was the pilot-in-command and the first officer was the pilot monitoring. The airplane was pushed back to the gate with the push-tug after the event. According to the flight crew, as the first officer read through the pushback checklist, the configuration and status of the hydraulic panel was missed by both crew members. The airplane was pushed back by the push-tug, and the captain set the parking brake as the first officer was starting the left engine. As the tow bar was removed, the ground crew asked the flight crew to verify that the brakes were set, and the captain responded that brakes were set. Shortly thereafter, the ground crew and the first officer stated that the airplane was moving. The captain stated he then glanced at the brake pressure gauge and saw no pressure. Both crew members then noticed that the hydraulic panel was not set, and hydraulic pumps were not on. The captain immediately turned the hydraulic pumps on, while maintaining full brake pressure. As the brake system pressurized, the airplane abruptly stopped. The sudden stop caused several of the flight attendants in the cabin to fall. One flight attendant suffered a serious injury to her arm, and another suffered a minor injury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N196DN
- Reported as
- Boeing 767-332
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28453
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 104,890
- Engines
- P&W 4060-3, 60,000 lbs thrust, turbo jetP&W 4060-3, 60,000 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Air Lines Inc
- Registered owner
- Delta Air Lines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 1, 2021
- Departed
- KSEA · Seattle, WA
- Destination
- KATL · Atlanta, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SEA · Seattle-Tacoma Intl
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, ADS-B
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Last flight review
- March 26, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 15,001 total · 5,732 in this make and model · 8,655 as pilot in command · 172 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Last flight review
- January 19, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 3,573 total · 3,573 in this make and model · 147 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KSEA
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 21, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 MB in all.
Other investigations on N196DN · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.