Boeing 757-351 N585NW
28 December 2008 · Seattle, Washington, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 28 December 2008 at about 15:00 local time, a Boeing 757-351 registered N585NW, operated by Northwest Airlines Inc, was involved in an accident near Seattle, Washington, United States. 352 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Seattle, Washington, United States
- Nearest airport
- Seattle-Tacoma Int. Airport (SEA)
- Coordinates
- 47.4497, -122.3117
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-351
- Registration
- N585NW
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Northwest Airlines Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Seattle → Minneapolis
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night
- NTSB number
- WPR09FA068
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 352 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 352 |
Probable cause
The failure of the tug operator and wing walker of this airplane to maintain clearance with the other aircraft during the pushback process in dark night. Also causal was the ramp controller's misinterpretation of the other airplane's gate location and her improper clearance for both airplanes to simultaneously push back from nearly opposing gates.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A Boeing 757-351 and a Boeing 737-832 were substantially damaged when the tails of both airplanes collided during the pushback process from two opposing terminal gates during night visual meteorological conditions. The flight crew and ground crew of the Boeing 737-832 reported that they had stopped, were in a static position, and in the final stages of disconnecting the tug when the collision occurred. The ground crew of the Boeing 757-351 reported that they never observed the Boeing 737-832 during their pushback process. Review of recorded communications tapes between the flight crews of both aircraft and the ramp controller revealed that the Boeing 757-351 was cleared to be pushed into the alleyway with its tail to the south. About 9 seconds later, the Boeing 737-832 was cleared for pushback into the alleyway with its tail to the north. The recorded communications tapes revealed that the ramp controller did not advise either aircraft of the opposing pushback operations. The controller stated that she thought that the Boeing 737-832 was requesting to push back from a different gate than they had requested; however, the recorded communications tapes clearly have flight crew of the Boeing 737 stating their correct gate in their initial call for a pushback clearance.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 757-351 | N585NW | Northwest Airlines Inc | Substantial |
| Boeing 737-832 | N397DA | Delta Air Lines Inc | Substantial |
Other Boeing 757 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Mar 2008 | Boeing 757-200 | Richmond, Virginia, United States | US Airways Inc | No injuries | - |
| 18 Sep 2008 | Boeing 757 | Cork, Ireland | Icelandair | No injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 2008 | Boeing 757 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Delta Air Lines Inc | No injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 2008 | Boeing 757-223 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | American Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 28 Oct 2007 | Boeing 757-225 | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | US Airways Inc | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2007 | Boeing 757-232 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | Delta Airlines Inc DFW Base Maintenance | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jun 2008 | Cessna T182T | Point Roberts, Washington, United States | David A. Smith | No injuries | - |
| 9 May 2008 | Thorp T-18 | Kent, Washington, United States | Roger Thompson | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Jul 2008 | Evektor-Aerotechnik SPORTSTAR | Arlington, Washington, United States | Northwest Aviation Center | No injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 2008 | Bell 206B | Cougar, Washington, United States | Northwest Helicopters | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 2008 | Cessna 172N | McMurray, Washington, United States | Brenda Lee Houston | Fatal | 3 |
| 13 Jan 2008 | Piper PA-12 | Centerville, Washington, United States | Dwayne A. Hansen | Minor injuries | - |