- Date
- August 31, 2024, 19:47 local (23:47 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, GA
- Injuries
- 629 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N808NWAirbus A330-323G-VPRDAirbus A350
- Defining events
- Taxi-to runway: Ground collisionTaxi-to runway: Ground collision
- 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
- Parties
- Delta Air Lines, FAA, Air Accidents Investigation Branch
- Case key
- 195036
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
Delta Air Lines flight crew’s incorrect evaluation of the clearance between their airplane and the airplane directly ahead of them as they made a 90 degree right turn onto an adjacent taxiway.
Findings · 2
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.
N808NW · Airbus A330-323
Airbus A350
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.
N808NW · Airbus A330-323
Airbus A350
Analysis
Delta Air Lines flight 105 (DL105), an Airbus A330-323, collided with Virgin Atlantic Airways flight 104 (VS104), an Airbus A350-1041, while taxiing to runway 27R at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia. There were no injuries to the passengers and crew onboard either airplane. The left winglet of DL105 contacted the right horizontal stabilizer of VS104, resulting in substantial damage to the latter. The accident occurred about 17 minutes prior to sunset and there was no precipitation or obscuration at that time. Based on statements from both flight crews, both airplanes were on taxiway L enroute to runway 27R, with VS104 directly ahead of DL105. While nearing the turnoff to runway 27R, the VS104 flight crew informed ATL air traffic control tower (ATCT) that they required additional time at the end of taxiway L to recalculate takeoff data due to a runway change. Subsequently, the DL105 flight crew advised the ATL ATCT they were able to depart immediately and were cleared to depart runway 27R using taxiway LC; VS104 was near taxiway LA at this time (see figure 1). The left seated pilot for DAL105 stated that the taxi speed of VS104 had slowed during DAL105’s turn onto taxiway LC, and he looked back at the left wingtip and saw it had already cleared beyond the tail of VS104. However, the left winglet of DL105 had already collided with the right horizontal stabilizer of VS104, but neither flight crew was aware that a collision had occurred. The DL105 flight crew described feeling a shudder, described similar to running over an uneven taxi surface, while the VS104 flight crew heard an abnormal noise, without any abnormal movement of the airplane. Both airplanes departed to their respective destinations without any reported flight control or performance anomalies. The damage to both airplanes was confirmed during postlanding inspections. Figure 1. Ground position tracks of both airplanes at the estimated location of the collision.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N808NW
- Reported as
- Airbus A330-323
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0591
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 89,923.09
- Engines
- Pratt and Whitney PW4168A, 68,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanPratt and Whitney PW4168A, 68,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Air Lines Inc
- Registered owner
- Delta Air Lines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 30, 2024
- Destination
- SBGR · Sao Paulo, OF
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KATL · Hartsfield_jackson Atlanta International
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, 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.
- Registration
- G-VPRD
- Reported as
- Airbus A350 (1041)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0319
- Built
- 2019
- Engines
- Rolls Royce XWB-97, turbo fanRolls Royce XWB-97, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 129
- Operator
- Virgin Atlantic Airways
- Registered owner
- Astree SAS
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Destination
- LHR · London, OF
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator
Flight crew · 4
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N808NW
- Age
- 63
- 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
- February 16, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 15,260 total · 4,651 in this make and model · 8,599 as pilot in command · 210 in the last 90 days · 66 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Co-pilot, aircraft N808NW
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 11, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 8,040 total · 506 in this make and model · 1,567 as pilot in command · 186 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 2
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 23, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 14,746 total · 2,879 in this make and model · 5,752 as pilot in command · 171 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot, aircraft 2
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 9,394 total · 161 in this make and model · 3,783 as pilot in command · 161 in the last 90 days · 67 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 22,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KATL
- METAR
- METAR KATL 312352Z 29006KT 10SM FEW050TCU SCT180 BKN220 31/20 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP147 OCNL LTGCG DSNT N CB DSNT N NE-E TCU NE T03110200 10344 20311 55002
Docket · 8
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 3, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 17.9 MB in all.