- Date
- February 24, 2023, 20:30 local (Feb 25, 2023, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- New York, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 99 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N337JBEmbraer ERJ 190-100 IGW
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: Ground handling event
- Weather
- Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- JetBlue Airways, FAA AVP-100
- Case key
- 106804
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
Electrical sparking caused by a faulty connection between the aircraft and ground power unit resulting in a serious injury to a ground service agent.
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 February 24, 2023, about 20:30 eastern standard time, an Embraer E190, operated by JetBlue Airways as flight 618 from Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), had a ground service agent sustain second degree burns while connecting ground electrical power to the airplane after it blocked into Gate 5, at Terminal 5. According to the ground service agent, after connecting the ground power unit (GPU) he noted that electrical power was not being supplied to the airplane, so he went back to the connection point to confirm that power was on when suddenly the connection between the GPU and the airplane sparked and his right shirt sleeve caught fire and his wrist was burned.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N337JB
- Reported as
- Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19000473
- Built
- 2011
- Engines
- GE CF34-10E6, 18,820 lbs thrust, turbo fanGE CF34-10E6, 18,820 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Jetblue Airways Corp
- Registered owner
- Jetblue Airways Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- MSP · Minneapolis -St. Paul International, MN
- Destination
- KJFK · Queens, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- JFK · John F. Kennedy International
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 2,112 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 28
- 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
- September 4, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 228 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Night
- Wind
- 310° at 22 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 3053.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KJFK
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 18, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.5 MB in all.