# NTSB DCA24LA092: Airbus A321-231, N956JT, Boston, MA, February 8, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: February 8, 2024, 11:37 UTC - Place: Boston, MA - Coordinates: 42.3643, -71.005203 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.3643&lon=-71.0052&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining events: [Standing-engine(s) operating: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200); [Taxi: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 364 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - Parties: FAA AVP, Jet Blue ASI - NTSB case key (mKey): 193765 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA24LA092 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193765/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193765 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA24LA092 ## Probable cause (aircraft 1) The “follow me” driver stopping the airplane (flight 551) about 35 feet from the normal stopping point due to a difficulty in seeing the yellow “T”-bar because of the dark night conditions and the presence of de-icing fluid on the ground. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Info processing/decision: identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Ground crew, aircraft 1; cases with it: [Airbus A321-231, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md?model=3940032), [All aircraft, 559 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Flight crew, aircraft 2; cases with it: [Airbus S A S A321-271NX, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md?model=3930916), [All aircraft, 559 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Standing-engine(s) operating: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) (defining event), aircraft 1; cases with it: [Airbus A321-231, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md?model=3940032), [All aircraft, 618 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md) - [Taxi: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) (defining event), aircraft 2; cases with it: [Airbus S A S A321-271NX, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md?model=3930916), [All aircraft, 618 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md) ## Analysis (aircraft 1) While taxiing within the Amelia Earhart de-icing pad area, the left sharklet of JetBlue Airways flight 777 collided with the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator of JetBlue Airways flight 551 at the General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts. There were no injuries to the 210 passengers and crew on flight 551 or the 154 passengers and crew on flight 777. The flight crew of flight 551 stated that, following a normal preflight and uneventful taxi from the gate to the de-icing pad, they were guided by a “follow me” vehicle operated by JetBlue contractor, Aeromag (see figure 1). The flight crew proceeded to follow the vehicle to the D2 parking spot. A yellow painted “T” inside a black square marked the proper stopping point location for the airplane’s nose tires when parked. Nearing the stopping point, the “follow me” vehicle turned to the right and stopped with its headlights facing toward the back of the airplane. The driver of the “follow me” vehicle communicated with the flight crew via radio and began a “countdown” for when the captain should stop the airplane. Upon the verbal stop command, the captain stopped the airplane and set the parking brake. After the de-ice procedure was complete, the flight crew received instructions to taxi the airplane to runway 9 for departure. Immediately after releasing the airplane’s parking brake, the flight crew felt jolts and vibrations and the airplane swayed back and forth. The captain set the parking brake and the first officer (FO) contacted air traffic control (ATC) and was informed they had been struck by another aircraft. Figure 1. Google Earth image showing the ground position tracks of both airplanes. In a post-accident statement, the driver of the “follow me” vehicle indicated that he stopped the airplane (flight 551) at what he thought was the normal stopping point. He had difficulty seeing the yellow “T” -bar due to the dark night conditions and the de-icing fluid that was present on the ground (figure 2). A post-accident inspection found that the airplane was about 35 ft short of the normal stopping point. Figure 2. Photograph showing N956JT (JetBlue flight 551) about 35 feet from the yellow “T” bar. (Source: JetBlue) The flight crew of flight 777 indicated that after a normal preflight and uneventful taxi from the gate to the de-icing pad they were guided to the D1 spot by a “follow me” vehicle. The captain stated spacing appeared to be tight and he focused on the yellow taxi line to ensure proper clearance from other airplanes in the area. Shortly thereafter, while taxiing, the flight crew heard a grinding noise and felt a vibration. While still moving forward, they heard another aircraft on the Aeromag radio frequency ask if something had struck their airplane. The flight crew of flight 777 stopped their airplane and set the parking brake. The captain had difficulty seeing the left sharklet due to the dark night conditions but noted that it was intact.In addition, he was unable to see the empennage of flight 551 parked at the D2 location as it was behind them. Flight 551 (N956JT) sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and the left elevator. As a result of this event, Aeromag investigated and produced a February 12, 2024, memo to their BOS-JBU [JetBlue] operations staff discussing an amendment to the Coordinator of Traffic and Movement (CTM) phraseology and aircraft stopping procedures. The memo outlined the updated procedures and phraseology as: “Follow me” truck is now required to verbally confirm with the flight crew that the aircraft is correctly stopped on the deicing “T”-Bar. JetBlue will add to the Airport Briefing Guide (ABG) that the pilot will not configure the aircraft until confirmation that the aircraft is correctly stopped on the deicing “T”-Bar. The “follow me” truck is required to check the rear of the aircraft to ensure that it is within the bay and clear of the zipper line before confirming brake set. Safety Lead will perform a secondary check, reconfirming with the CTM that the aircraft has stopped on the deicing “T”-Bar. Safety Lead will also verify that the rear of the aircraft is clear of the zipper line and within the bay. Truck positioning and aircraft deicing will commence after these checks have been completed. Additionally, once CTM has confirmed with the flight crew that they have a visual on the “follow me” truck, the “follow me” truck operator will follow these steps: 1. Guide the aircraft into the assigned bay. 2. Ensure the aircraft is properly stopped on the deicing “T”-Bar. 3. Confirm that the rear of the aircraft is within the bay, clear of the zipper line, before bringing any other aircraft in. Finally, the Safety Lead will: 1. Inspect and confirm with CTM that the aircraft is properly stopped on the deicing “T”-Bar. 2. Inspect that the rear of the aircraft is well within the bay and clear of the zipper line. Aeromag also increased its daily roster to include sufficient qualified staff to allocate a Safety Lead dedicated to each operational bay regardless of operating conditions. Long term prevention strategies identified were: Repainting and reviewing the color format of the delineated markings using high-visibility paint and/or reflective inset markers. Investigating the feasibility of adding high mast lighting for the Earhart facility. Operational audits to focus on the correct positioning of aircraft while maintaining the safety buffer zones. Explore opportunities to locate Aeromag tower personnel in elevated positions. ## Aircraft 1 - Registration: [N956JT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N956JT), registered now, S/N 6791, built 2015 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRBUS A321-231 - Registry model: [Airbus A321-231](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-a321-231) (registry code 3940032) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [IAE V2533-A5](https://openairdocs.org/engine/iae-v2533-a5) (registry code 34611, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 6791 - Year built: 2015 - Engines: IAE V2533-A5 31600 lbs thrust turbo fan; IAE V2533-A5 31600 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Jetblue Airways Corp - Registered owner: Jetblue Airways Corp - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Airport: BOS, General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport - Equipment: Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Heads up display, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B ## Aircraft 2 - Registration: [N2157J](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2157J), registered now, S/N 11397, built 2023 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRBUS A321 - Registry model: [Airbus S A S A321-271NX](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-s-a-s-a321-271nx) (registry code 3930916) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [IAE PW1133GA-JM](https://openairdocs.org/engine/iae-pw1133ga-jm) (registry code 34598, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 11397 - Year built: 2023 - Engines: IAE PW1133GA-JM 33110 lbs thrust turbo fan; IAE PW1133GA-JM 33110 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Jetblue Airways Corp - Registered owner: Jetblue Airways Corp - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Equipment: Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Heads up display, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot, aircraft N956JT; age 58; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review February 1, 2023; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 23,145 total, 13,128 in this make and model, 18,077 as pilot in command, 125 in the last 90 days, 0 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot, aircraft N956JT; age 59; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 10,533 total, 1,494 in this make and model, 3,528 as pilot in command - Pilot, aircraft N2157J; age 54; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 1, 2023; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 11,970 total, 9,500 in this make and model - Co-pilot, aircraft N2157J; age 50; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 8, 2023; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 16,000 total, 9,500 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 29 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 30.32 inHg - Observed at: KBOS ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20240208022242A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240208022242A), Feb 8, 2024: Airbus A-321-271NX, Boston, MA, Substantial damage. 1. An Airbus A321 aircraft struck another stationary A321 aircraft while maneuvering for predeparture de-icing purposes in the Boston airport earhart de-ice… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 18, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193765. 4.8 MB in all. - Aeromag employee statement (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 41 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17010901&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Aeromag%20Employee%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Flight crew statements flight 551 (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 143 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17149062&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Crew%20Statements%20Flight%20551_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Flight crew statements flight 777 (item 3, PDF, 5 pages, 156 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17150102&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Crew%20Statements%20Flight%20777_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 - N956JT (item 4, PDF, 11 pages, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17151253&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120.1%20Pilot_Operator%20Aircraft%20Accident_Incident%20Report%20-%20N956JT%20V2_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 - N2157J (item 5, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17151524&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120.1%20Pilot_Operator%20Aircraft%20Accident_Incident%20Report%20N2157J%20V2_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Cockpit voice recorder - specialist's factual report (item 6, PDF, 10 pages, 188 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17392689&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DCA24LA092%20-%20CVR%20Summary-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.