NTSB CAROL · Event
Event DCA17CA214
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
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or 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 ↗.
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