# NTSB NYC02IA117: Dornier 328, N439JS, Washington, DC, June 17, 2002

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · Minor injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: June 17, 2002, 19:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place: Washington, DC
- Coordinates: 38.851943, -77.03778
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8519&lon=-77.0378&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 1 minor, 13 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report June 25, 2003
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 54993
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC02IA117
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54993/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54993
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC02IA117

## Probable cause

The ground service personnel's failure to follow company procedure, which resulted in the flight attendant sustaining a serious injury.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Miscellaneous/other, standing - engine(s) not operating
  - procedures/directives - not followed, ground personnel (cause)

## Analysis

While the flight attendant was attempting to lock the door from inside the airplane, ground service personnel locked it from the outside of the airplane, catching the flight attendant's hand, fracturing her finger and wrist.  The procedure for the Dornier 328 aircraft was for ground personnel to close the door flush with the fuselage, and the flight attendant to lock it.

## Factual narrative

On June 17, 2002, about 1950 eastern daylight time, a flight attendant sustained minor injuries while closing the main cabin door on a standing Dornier 328, N439JS operated by PSA, dba U.S. Airways Express, at Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington, District of Columbia.  Two flight crew members, 10 passengers, and one other flight attendant were not injured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight scheduled to be conducted under 14 CFR Part 121.

According to the operator, the flight attendant was attempting to lock the main cabin door after ground service personnel had closed it flush with the fuselage.  While the flight attendant was locking the door from inside the airplane, ground service personnel locked it from the outside of the airplane, catching the flight attendant's hand, fracturing her finger and wrist.  The procedure for the Dornier 328 aircraft was for ground personnel to close the door flush with the fuselage, and the flight attendant to lock it.

The flight attendant did not report any malfunction with the main cabin door.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N439JS](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N439JS-2006-01-12), registration cancelled 2006-01-12, S/N 3057, built 1995 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Dornier 328
- Registry model: [Dornier Luftfahrt 328-100](https://openairdocs.org/model/dornier-luftfahrt-328-100) (registry code 2996100) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada PW119B](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw119b) (registry code 52133, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 3057
- Engines: Pratt & Whitney 119B turbo prop; Pratt & Whitney 119B turbo prop
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Registered owner: Psa
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Departed: DCA, Washington, DC
- Destination: BTV, Burlington, VT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: DCA, Ronald Regan Washington

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; injuries: none; airline transport
- Co-pilot; injuries: none; airline transport

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observed at: DCA

## Docket (1 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 15, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54993. 415 KB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 415 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182259&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.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.

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