Airbus A330-323 N808NW accident near Atlanta, Georgia

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.

NTSB analysis

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.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for DCA24LA295 for the full record.