Incident · 2023-01-13

What the record says

Event date

2023-01-13

Event type

Incident

Highest injury level

No injuries

Aircraft

BOEING 737-900ER (N914DU)

Operating rule

Part 121

Operator

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. Operator named in NTSB report

Operated by (per NTSB report)

Delta Air Lines

Probable cause

The American Airlines flight 106 (AAL106) crew’s surface navigation error due to distractions caused by their performance of concurrent operational tasks during taxi, which resulted in a loss of situational awareness. Contributing to the incident was the air traffic control tower team’s nondetection of the AAL106 crew’s deviation from taxi instructions while performing concurrent operational tasks; the timing of the runway status light system, which activated too late to prevent the AAL106 crew from crossing the runway hold short line; and American Airlines’ lack of adequate risk controls to prevent concurrent flight crew tasks from leading to distraction, loss of situational awareness, and deviation from an authorized taxi clearance. Reducing the severity of the incident, and likely preventing an accident, was the activation of the ASDE-X warning in the air traffic control tower and the local controller’s prompt cancellation of DAL1943’s takeoff clearance.

Flight crew

No flight-crew details recorded in the NTSB accident database for this event.