Incident Details
On March 30, 2011, at approximately 1830 central daylight time, a Boeing 737-301 operated by Northern Air Cargo, Inc. (NAC) sustained substantial damage during departure from Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio. The airplane was operating as an instrument flight rules (IFR) positioning flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan was filed. The flight was destined for Laredo, Texas. The crew consisted of a captain, first officer, and flight mechanic, none of whom were injured.
Cause of Damage
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge on April 5, 2011, the Vice President of Operations for NAC reported that an unsecured pallet jack in the cargo hold struck the fuselage frame structure during departure, fracturing a structural frame. The cargo hold was empty at the time, and the pallet jack had not been secured prior to departure.
Preflight Inspection
In a written report to the NTSB received on April 8, 2011, the Vice President stated that the first officer completed the preflight inspection of the airplane while the captain handled the paperwork. Both pilots looked into the cargo hold but did not notice the unsecured pallet jack.
Post-Incident Actions
Following the incident, the aircraft was flown to a repair facility in Tucson, Arizona, for repairs to the damaged structure.