Narrative:
Delta Airlines Flight 1276, was struck by a tug while taxing. The tug driver received minor injures.
Night visual conditions with light rain prevailed at the time of the accident.
The captain reported that after landing at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, ATC cleared the flight to enter the Ramp 2 east taxi lane and taxi to gate B14. The captain indicated that as they began to turn right into the ramp, Ramp Control instructed flight 1276 to give way to opposite direction traffic. As the captain was looking forward to identify the traffic, the first officer called out, "Stop, Stop, Stop!" The captain immediately applied full brakes. The flight crew then heard and felt an impact coming from the right side of the forward fuselage.
The pilots notified ramp control and held position. Ground support personnel arrived quickly to assist. The ground personnel told the pilot via inter-phone that a tug and baggage cart had impacted the fuselage and was against the nose gear. Ground personnel reported to the crew that the tug driver was OK but that he did not know where he was or how he got there.
Probable cause: "Failure of the tug driver to give way to the taxiing airplane."
Damaged on the ground
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Thursday 4 April 2019 |
| Time: | 20:17 |
| Type: |  McDonnell Douglas MD-88 |
| Operator: | Delta Air Lines |
| Registration: | N977DL |
| MSN: | 53258/1848 |
| First flight: | 1991 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 72944 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA (ATL) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Taxi (TXI) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Syracuse-Hancock International Airport, NY (SYR/KSYR), United States of America |
| Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA (ATL/KATL), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | DL1276 |
Delta Airlines Flight 1276, was struck by a tug while taxing. The tug driver received minor injures.
Night visual conditions with light rain prevailed at the time of the accident.
The captain reported that after landing at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, ATC cleared the flight to enter the Ramp 2 east taxi lane and taxi to gate B14. The captain indicated that as they began to turn right into the ramp, Ramp Control instructed flight 1276 to give way to opposite direction traffic. As the captain was looking forward to identify the traffic, the first officer called out, "Stop, Stop, Stop!" The captain immediately applied full brakes. The flight crew then heard and felt an impact coming from the right side of the forward fuselage.
The pilots notified ramp control and held position. Ground support personnel arrived quickly to assist. The ground personnel told the pilot via inter-phone that a tug and baggage cart had impacted the fuselage and was against the nose gear. Ground personnel reported to the crew that the tug driver was OK but that he did not know where he was or how he got there.
Probable Cause:
Probable cause: "Failure of the tug driver to give way to the taxiing airplane."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Collision with airport equipmentDamaged on the ground
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Syracuse-Hancock International Airport, NY to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA as the crow flies is 1268 km (793 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Syracuse-Hancock International Airport, NY to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA as the crow flies is 1268 km (793 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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