Skip to content

DCA17CA214

2017-09-30 · Arlington, Virginia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport DCA

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The failure N841NNs captain to maintain appropriate clearance from N982VJ, which was stopped on the taxiway.

Factual narrative

On September 30, 2017, about 1050 eastern daylight time, American Airlines flight 1533, a Boeing 737-800, N841NN, collided with American Airlines flight 419, an Airbus A321, N982VJ, on a taxiway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA), Arlington, Virginia. There were no injuries to the occupants of either airplane. Both flights were scheduled domestic passenger flights, operating under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121. N841NN originated at Miami International Airport (KMIA), Miami, Florida, and had 108 passengers and crew onboard. N982VJ originated at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, (KDFW) Dallas, Texas, and had 191 passengers and crew on board. According to flight crew statements N982VJ was stopped on taxiway K waiting for their assigned arrival gate to be vacated. As N841NN attempted to pass N982VJ, the left wingtip of N841NN impacted the left horizontal stabilizer of N982VJ, causing substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. On September 30, 2017, about 1050 eastern daylight time, American Airlines flight 1533, a Boeing 737-800, N841NN, collided with American Airlines flight 419, an Airbus A321, N982VJ, on a taxiway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA), Arlington, Virginia. There were no injuries to the occupants of either airplane.  Both flights were scheduled domestic passenger flights, operating under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121. N841NN originated at Miami International Airport (KMIA), Miami, Florida, and had 108 passengers and crew onboard. N982VJ originated at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, (KDFW) Dallas, Texas, and had 191 passengers and crew on board. According to flight crew statements N982VJ was stopped on taxiway K waiting for their assigned arrival gate to be vacated. As N841NN attempted to pass N982VJ, the left wingtip of N841NN impacted the left horizontal stabilizer of N982VJ, causing substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Pilot - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Pilot of other aircraft - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2017_DCA17CA214.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.