- Date
- October 23, 2021, 09:55 local (13:55 UTC)
- Place
- Miami, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 62 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Pushback/towing
- Aircraft
- N252NNEmbraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR
- Defining event
- Pushback/tow-engine not oper: Comm system malf/failure
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 104161
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
An abrupt jerk of the airplane as the captain applied the parking brake during the tow that caused a flight attendant to fall and break her wrist.
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
Envoy flight 4265 experienced a jolt during pushback and a flight attendant broke a wrist. According to the captain, after the “Before Start Checklist” was completed, the flightcrew was connected to the ground crew push-tug operator for push-back via the interphone. The push-tug operator informed him that he was ready for the captain to release the parking brake, and upon the captain doing so, the push began. During the final push, when the airplane transitioned from reverse to forward, the captain said that the communications connection with the ground crew deteriorated, and he believed he heard the push-tug operator say “set parking brake”, when actually the push-tug operator was directing the flight crew to start engines. The captain said that as a result he applied the parking brake while the tug operator was pulling the airplane forward, which resulted in a sudden jerk. The captain also said that the push-tug operator was difficult to understand because of his accent, which combined with the faulty interphone connection, resulted in the miscommunication. At the time of the event, two flight attendants (FA) were in the aisle performing the passenger safety demonstration. No. 1 FA was thrown against seat 4D, and No. 2 FA was thrown to the floor, hitting her head, back, and wrist, and was unable to stand. The airplane was towed back to the gate, and the No. 2 FA was taken to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured left wrist.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N252NN
- Reported as
- Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17000642
- Built
- 2017
- Engines
- GE CF34-8E5, 14,510 lbs thrust, turbo fanGE CF34-8E5, 14,510 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Envoy Air
- Registered owner
- American Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Destination
- RDU · Raleigh/Durham, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MIA · Miami 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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 24, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 3,658 total · 582 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 22, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 3,421 total · 574 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 20, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 MB in all.