McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 N918RW

Summary

On 30 October 1988 at about 17:33 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 registered N918RW, operated by Northwest Airlines, was involved in an accident near Memphis, Tennessee, United States. 42 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

30 October 1988 at 17:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Memphis Intl (MEM)

Coordinates

35.0291, -90.0102

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31

Registration

N918RW

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Northwest Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Columbus → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL89FA020

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT WAS BEING TAXIED TO THE GATE WHEN ITS RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK A CATERING TRUCK THAT HAD BEEN DRIVEN OFF OF THE DESIGNATED DRIVING LANES & PARTIALLY ONTO THE TAXIWAY. THE FLT CREW RPRTD THAT THE TRUCK WAS TRAVELING IN THE SAME DIRECTION WITHIN THE DESIGNATED DRIVING LANES WHEN THEY LAST OBSERVED IT. SHORTLY AFTER THE COCKPIT AREA OF THE ACFT PASSED THE TRUCK, THEY FELT AN IMPACT. WITNESSES RPRTD THE TRUCK LEFT THE DRIVING LANES AS THE DRIVER WAS MANEUVERING AROUND OTHER GROUND VEHICLES THAT WERE OBSTRUCTING THE DRIVING LANES. FAA & ARPT RULES REQUIRED THAT VEHICLES DRIVERS OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM THE TOWER BEFORE CROSSING OR OPERATING ON RUNWAYS OR TAXIWAYS. ALSO, ARPT RULES STATED THAT VEHICLE DRIVERS SHALL YIELD TO TAXIING ACFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.