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DCA10CA075

2010-06-19 · New York, New York, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport KJFK

Current FAA registration · N3730B

Make / Model
BOEING 737-832
Year of manufacture
2000 · 10 years old at event
Engine
CFM INTL. CFM56 SERIES (2200 hp)
Seats / Engines
189 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
20000921
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4414A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

a baggage cart impacting the airplane and causing substantial damage as a result of the jet blast from a passing airplane.

Factual narrative

According to a company flight safety investigator, the aircraft was parked at the gate while the first officer and four flight attendants were aboard preparing for the upcoming flight. Baggage handlers on the ramp were loading baggage onto the aircraft when the jet blast from a taxing Boeing 767-400ER blew an empty baggage cart from its parked position, which collided with the left side of the aft service panel, causing a 15 by 18 in puncture through the aircraft skin and severing two stringers. According to the baggage handler, after he had staged the empty baggage cart into location among two other carts, he "made sure that it was locked" by giving the cart a "push" from the left side. He stated that the cart did not "budge" after he pushed it. A video of the accident showed the cart being blown from the jet blast as it travelled across the ramp and impacted the left side of the aircraft. The other two baggage carts remained unmoved. According to a company flight safety investigator, the aircraft was parked at the gate while the first officer and four flight attendants were aboard preparing for the upcoming flight. Baggage handlers on the ramp were loading baggage onto the aircraft when the jet blast from a taxing Boeing 767-400ER blew an empty baggage cart from its parked position, which collided with the left side of the aft service panel, causing a 15 by 18 in puncture through the aircraft skin and severing two stringers.According to the baggage handler, after he had staged the empty baggage cart into location among two other carts, he "made sure that it was locked" by giving the cart a "push" from the left side. He stated that the cart did not "budge" after he pushed it. A video of the accident showed the cart being blown from the jet blast as it travelled across the ramp and impacted the left side of the aircraft. The other two baggage carts remained unmoved. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Ground crew
  • C Environmental issues-Operating environment-Airport facilities/design-(general)-Effect on equipment - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_DCA10CA075.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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