NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ATL96LA028
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
Failure of the tug driver, who was towing the Lockheed L-1011, to ensure that clearance was maintained from the Boeing 737, which was standing.
Factual narrative
On December 29, 1995, at 1017 eastern standard time, a standing Boeing 737-232, N306DL, was struck by a towed Lockheed L-1011, N728DA, at taxiway Hotel, at the Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. N306DL, flight 1862, a scheduled, domestic, passenger, flight, operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 121, with an instrument flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the collision. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The two flight crewmembers, three flight attendants, one extra flight crewmember, and the 52 passengers were not injured. Flight 1862 was enroute to St. Louis, Missouri, when the ground collision occurred. According to Delta Air Lines officials, the L-1011 was being repositioned from the north maintenance area to the passenger terminal area. The L-1011 tug operator and cockpit observer were in direct radio contact with Atlanta Ground Control, and were cleared to pass behind the standing Boeing 737-232. The tug driver stated that he thought they were clear of the standing airplane. As he attempted to pass the Boeing 737-232, the L-1011's right wing tip collided with the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator assemblies of the Boeing 737-232. As a tug driver was repositioning a Lockheed L-1011 from a maintenance facility to the passenger terminal, the right wing of the L-1011 collided with the right horizontal stabilizer of a standing Boeing 737-232. The tug driver stated he thought that he had ample clearance from the standing aircraft, when the collision occurred. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1995_ATL96LA028.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2026 · Journal article (IJAAA)
From Reactive to Predictive: A hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework for Data-Driven Maintenance in Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments
Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains incon…
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Applied Sciences)
Decision-Making Framework for Aviation Safety in Predictive Maintenance Strategies
The implementation of predictive maintenance (PM) in aviation presents unique challenges due to strict safety requirements, complex operational environments, and regulatory constraints.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
Low-Resource Automatic Speech Recognition Domain Adaptation – A Case-Study in Aviation Maintenance
With timeliness and efficiency being critical in the aviation maintenance industry, the need has been growing for smart technological solutions that optimize and streamline the different underlying ta…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
A New Trajectory in UAV Safety: Leveraging Reinforcement Learning for Distance Maintenance Under Wind Variations
In the field of aviation, safety is a critical cornerstone, and the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems is deeply connected with this principle.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Just Culture in Aviation: A Metaphorical Study on Aircraft Maintenance Students
Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Performance PRISM: A Comprehensive Framework For Performance Measurement In Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is governed by rigorous safety requirements and high operational complexity, demanding robust performance measurement frameworks to ensure optimal maintenance practices.
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