Airbus A330-323 N808NW
31 August 2024 · Atlanta, Georgia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 31 August 2024 at about 23:47 local time, a Airbus A330-323 registered N808NW, operated by Delta Air Lines Inc, was involved in an accident near Atlanta, Georgia, United States. 629 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:47
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Hartsfield_jackson Atlanta Int (KATL)
- Coordinates
- 33.6340, -84.4415
- Aircraft
- Airbus A330-323
- Registration
- N808NW
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2004
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Delta Air Lines Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Sao Paulo
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DCA24LA295
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 629 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 629 |
Probable cause
Delta Air Lines flight crew’s incorrect evaluation of the clearance between their airplane and the airplane directly ahead of them as they made a 90 degree right turn onto an adjacent taxiway.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Delta Air Lines flight 105 (DL105), an Airbus A330-323, collided with Virgin Atlantic Airways flight 104 (VS104), an Airbus A350-1041, while taxiing to runway 27R at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia. There were no injuries to the passengers and crew onboard either airplane. The left winglet of DL105 contacted the right horizontal stabilizer of VS104, resulting in substantial damage to the latter. The accident occurred about 17 minutes prior to sunset and there was no precipitation or obscuration at that time. Based on statements from both flight crews, both airplanes were on taxiway L enroute to runway 27R, with VS104 directly ahead of DL105. While nearing the turnoff to runway 27R, the VS104 flight crew informed ATL air traffic control tower (ATCT) that they required additional time at the end of taxiway L to recalculate takeoff data due to a runway change. Subsequently, the DL105 flight crew advised the ATL ATCT they were able to depart immediately and were cleared to depart runway 27R using taxiway LC; VS104 was near taxiway LA at this time (see figure 1). The left seated pilot for DAL105 stated that the taxi speed of VS104 had slowed during DAL105’s turn onto taxiway LC, and he looked back at the left wingtip and saw it had already cleared beyond the tail of VS104. However, the left winglet of DL105 had already collided with the right horizontal stabilizer of VS104, but neither flight crew was aware that a collision had occurred. The DL105 flight crew described feeling a shudder, described similar to running over an uneven taxi surface, while the VS104 flight crew heard an abnormal noise, without any abnormal movement of the airplane. Both airplanes departed to their respective destinations without any reported flight control or performance anomalies. The damage to both airplanes was confirmed during postlanding inspections. Figure 1. Ground position tracks of both airplanes at the estimated location of the collision.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A330-323 | N808NW | Delta Air Lines Inc | Minor |
| Airbus A350 1041 | G-VPRD | Virgin Atlantic Airways | Substantial |
Other Airbus A330 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 2024 | Airbus A330 | Queens, New York, United States | Swiss International Air Lines | Unknown | - |
| 27 Oct 2024 | Airbus A330 | International Waters, South Africa | South African Airways SOC Ltd | Unknown | - |
| 22 Sep 2024 | Airbus A330 | Algiers, Algeria | Hi Fly | No injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 2024 | Airbus A330 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Qantas | Unknown | - |
| 18 May 2024 | Airbus A330 | Orlando, Florida, United States | Aer Lingus | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Jan 2024 | Airbus A330 | Katunayake, Sri Lanka | Sri Lankan Airlines | Unknown | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Dec 2024 | Aeronca 15AC | Loganville, Georgia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Sep 2024 | Cessna 525 | Brunswick, Georgia, United States | Mountain Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2024 | William Loren Noggle JA30 SUPERSTOL | Tennille, Georgia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Mar 2024 | Aeronca 11AC | Conyers, Georgia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Sep 2024 | Grumman American Avn AA-5 | Rockmart, Georgia, United States | Flying Tigers Flight School | Fatal | 2 |
| 7 Sep 2024 | Beechcraft 58 | Griffin, Georgia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |