On 31 Jan 2014, a MCDONNELL DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT CO MD 88 88 operated by Delta Airlines, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Atlanta, GA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was caused by inattention on the part of the ground crew personnel, which led to the aircraft sustaining substantial damage. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A McDonnell Douglas MD 88 sustained substantial damage when a de-icing bucket struck the fuselage during ground operations.
On January 31, 2014, while preparing for departure at Atlanta, GA, a McDonnell Douglas MD 88, registration N921DL, was undergoing de-icing procedures. During the process, a de-icing bucket used by the ground crew struck the left side of the aircraft's fuselage. The impact was forceful enough to dislodge a passenger window, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft and compromising the integrity of the pressure vessel.
There were no injuries reported following the incident.
The accident was caused by inattention on the part of the ground crew personnel, which led to the aircraft sustaining substantial damage.