# NTSB IAD05LA044: Boeing 757-232, N6710E, Boston, MA, March 6, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 6, 2005, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC) - Place: Boston, MA - Coordinates: 42.364444, -71.005279 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.3644&lon=-71.0053&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 3 minor, 188 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 30, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 61156 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=IAD05LA044 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/61156/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD05LA044 ## Probable cause The first officer's misjudgment of a perceived threat, which resulted in the captain's excessive braking and subsequent injury to a flight attendant. A factor was the night lighting conditions. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Abrupt maneuver, taxi - to takeoff - remedial action - excessive, pilot in command - visual lookout - misjudged, copilot/second pilot (cause) - light condition - night (contributing factor) ## Analysis Approaching the intersection of a runway at night, at a taxi speed of about 12 knots, the first officer "abruptly yelled, 'stop the aircraft,'" and the captain brought the airplane to an immediate stop. After confirming no danger to their airplane, they discovered that one of the flight attendants had injured her elbow. The captain returned the airplane to the gate, and the flight attendant was replaced. Two additional flight attendants reported "some bruising" but felt able to continue the flight. En route, one of the two flight attendants advised the captain of back pain, and the other felt sick to her stomach. After landing, the two flight attendants were taken to a hospital for further evaluation. One of the two flight attendants was released, but the other remained in the hospital in excess of 48 hours with a herniated disk. According to the first officer, the reason he told the captain to stop was because another airplane was on the crossing runway. The first officer thought it could be holding number one for takeoff, and wanted to ensure that his airplane was on the correct taxiway before crossing the runway. ## Factual narrative On March 6, 2005, about 1830 eastern standard time, a flight attendant was seriously injured onboard a Boeing 757-232, N6710E, operating as Delta Airlines flight 2054, when it suddenly stopped on a taxiway at General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts. There was no damage to the airplane. The captain, first officer, 1 flight attendant and 185 passengers were not injured, and 2 flight attendants and 1 passenger received minor injuries. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight, between Logan and McCarran International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada. The scheduled passenger flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 121. According to the captain's statement, after pushback from gate 21 and engine start, the crew was instructed to taxi to runway 22R via taxiway N. At that point, the airplane was pointed north, on taxiway A. The captain began the taxi, and turned right, onto taxiway N. Approaching the intersection with runway 15R/33L, at a ground speed of 12 knots, the first officer "abruptly yelled, 'stop the aircraft,'" and the captain brought the airplane to an immediate stop. After confirming no danger to the airplane, the crew advised ground control that they would hold their present position until they could check on the conditions in the cabin. When they did so, they found that one of the flight attendants had injured her elbow. The captain returned the airplane to the gate, and the flight attendant was replaced. Two additional flight attendants reported "some bruising but felt able to continue the flight." En route to Las Vegas, one of the two flight attendants advised the captain of back pain, and the other felt sick to her stomach. A passenger, seated in seat 23B, also reported back pain, and that he had recent back surgery. Upon arrival in Las Vegas, paramedics met the airplane. The passenger was released at that time, and the two flight attendants were taken to a hospital for further evaluation. According to the first officer, the reason he told the captain to stop was because another airplane was on the crossing runway. The first officer thought it could be holding number one for takeoff, and he wanted to ensure that his airplane was on the correct taxiway before crossing the runway. Delta Airlines Flight Safety Department personnel subsequently confirmed that one of the two flight attendants had been released from the hospital, but the other had remained in the hospital in excess of 48 hours with a herniated disk. According to U.S. Naval Observatory data, sunset occurred in Boston at 1740, and civil twilight ended at 1809. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6710E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6710E), registered now, S/N 30482, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Boeing 757-232 - Registry model: [Boeing 757-232](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-757-232) (registry code 1384965) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PW2037](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pw2037) (registry code 52117, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 30482 - Airframe hours: 15053 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney PW2037 38200 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Delta Air Lines Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, March 1, 2005 - Departed: BOS, Boston, MA - Destination: LAS, Las Vegas, NV - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: BOS, General Edward Logan ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 46; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; last flight review October 1, 2004; seat: left; flight hours: 9,350 total, 4,701 in this make and model, 234 in the last 90 days - Co-pilot; age 40; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; last flight review October 1, 2004; seat: right ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 240° at 17 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 4,800 ft broken - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 29.54 inHg - Observed at: BOS ## 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 20050306034169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050306034169A), Mar 6, 2005: Boeing 757232, Boston, MA. (-23) This accident was not reported to the FAA. The Boston FSDO only learned of this accident after an NTSB report was released. Delta airlines flight 2054… 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.