- Date
- August 28, 2025, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chase City, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor, 165 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N373NWAirbus Industrie A320-212
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation
- Weather
- Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- FAA AVP-110, Delta
- Case key
- 200898
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 abrupt maneuver required to comply with a traffic alert and collision avoidance system resolution advisory during descent.
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 August 28, 2025, Delta Air Lines flight 737, an Airbus A320-212, experienced a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) resolution advisory (RA) while enroute from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia, to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington, DC. According to the flight crew, the airplane was level at flight level (FL) 290 when the crew requested a lower altitude from air traffic control (ATC) in preparation for arrival into DCA. ATC indicated there was traffic below them, cleared the flight to descend to FL280 and stated that further descent would be available after traffic below them was cleared. The captain selected FL280 and initiated the descent with the autopilot engaged. The first officer stated that airplane was descending at about 1,000 feet/min. While descending through about FL284, the flight crew received a TCAS RA instructing the crew to level off. The captain disengaged the autopilot and leveled off at about FL285. The flight crew reported the TCAS RA to ATC and resumed the descent to FL280 after the RA cleared. At the time of the TCAS RA, the flight attendants (FA) were beginning to prepare the cabin and galleys for landing. The FA in the aft galley was thrown to the floor, injuring both knees. She was assisted to her seat by the other FAs and several doctors and nurse passengers provided care for the remainder of the flight. The lead FA notified the flight crew of the injured FA. The flight crew contacted Delta to have medical personnel meet the airplane at the gate. After landing, the injured FA was transported to a local hospital, where she was diagnosed with fractures to both kneecaps. Two other FAs reported minor injuries but were not transported to the hospital.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N373NW
- Reported as
- Airbus Industrie A320-212
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1641
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 68,304
- Engines
- CFM Intl. CFM56 SERIES, turbo fanCFM Intl. CFM56 SERIES, turbo fan
- 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 · August 25, 2025
- Departed
- ATL · Atlanta, GA
- Destination
- DCA · Arlington, VA
- 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, Airframe parachute
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 · 6
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 18, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19,720 total · 1,518 in this make and model · 120 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,568 total · 1,050 in this make and model · 1,309 as pilot in command
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Front
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- Minor
- Seat
- Front
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- Minor
- Seat
- Front
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- Minor
- Seat
- Front
Weather
- Conditions
- Not reported
- METAR
- METAR KDCA 281552Z 14004KT 10SM FEW090 SCT250 25/09 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP206 T02500094
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 27, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.