CHI91LA087
1991-01-25 · INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed
Airport IND
N815AA has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (BOEING 787-8, built 2016), which was not involved in this event.
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE PROPER PROCEDURES AND THE IMPROPER USE OF THE THROTTLES.
Factual narrative
AMERICAN FLIGHT 323 (AA323) TAXIED TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RUNWAY 23R. IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT A STATIC/PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM PROBLEM THE CREW PERFORMED A POWER RUN-UP. THE JET BLAST CONTACTED AND MOVED A NORTHWEST DC9 (NW878) WHICH WAS PARKED AT GATE A7, BEHIND AND PERPENDICULAR TO AA323. THE MOVEMENT OF THE AIRPLANE RESULTED IN AN EXTERNAL HEATER HOSE DISCONNECTING FROM THE AIRPLANE. A 15 LB METAL COUPLING ON THE END OF THE HOSE STRUCK A MECHANIC WHEN IT DISCONNECTED. THE MECHANIC WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH INTERNAL INJURIES. THE CREW OF AA323 REPORTED BEING UNAWARE OF THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF NW878. AA323 DID NOT REQUEST OR OBTAIN A CLEARANCE TO PERFORM THE RUN-UP IN THE UNAUTHORIZED AREA. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1991_CHI91LA087.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
Matched on aircraft type. All research papers
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- NASA NTRS 2011 · Reprint (Version printed in journal) Flight Simulator Platform Motion and Air Transport Pilot Training
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- NASA NTRS 2011 · Reprint (Version printed in journal) Predicted airframe noise levels for certification flights
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