Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
Thursday, November 28, 2002 21:25 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A flight attendant was seriously injured when struck by a galley service cart during initial climb after takeoff. According to company personnel, the galley service cart was not secured properly prior to departure and became detached from the forward galley during climb out. The galley service cart traveled down the center aisle and struck a flight attendant in the aft galley, fracturing his ankle. No anomalies were found with the galley service cart or the galley in which it was stationed prior to takeoff. All restraint levers were intact and functioned as designed.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The cabin flight crew not verifying the galley service cart had been properly stowed prior to departure, which resulted in the inadvertent deployment of the galley service cart during initial climb after takeoff.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/28/2002
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2125
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City Minneapolis
Event State MINNESOTA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 55401
Event Date Year 2002
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 445248N
Event Location Longitude 0931300W
Event Location Airport --
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2155 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID MSP
Elevation of weather observation facility 841
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Night
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 15000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 7
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.55
Density Altitude (feet) 509
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 42
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 13927
NTSB Notification Source NTSB COMM CENTER
NTSB Notification Date Nov 29 2002 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1140
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Sep 30 2003 9:55AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office FAA - Minneapolis CMO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N324US
NTSB Number CHI03LA031
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Airbus Industrie
Aircraft Model A320-211
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 273
Certified Max Gross Weight 166478
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 179
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Feb 13 2002 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 2499
Airframe Hours 35133
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Northwest Airlines Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5101 Northwest Drive
Aircraft Owner City St. Paul
Aircraft Owner State MN
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 55111
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code NWAA
Owner has at least one certificate --
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) --
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code MSP
Departure City Minneapolis
Departure State MN
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 2106
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SMF
Destination City Sacramento
Destination State CA
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff - initial climb
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Aug 1 2003 9:12AM
User who most recently changed record SULP
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --