Incident Overview
On April 4, 2019, at 2019 eastern daylight time, Delta Air Lines flight 1276, a Boeing/McDonnell Douglas MD88 (registration N977DL), was substantially damaged after being struck by a baggage tug during taxi at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia (ATL). The airplane was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR), New York, to ATL. Night visual conditions with light rain prevailed at the time of the incident.
Sequence of Events
According to the operator, the flight crew reported that after landing, air traffic control cleared the flight to enter the Ramp 2 east taxi lane and taxi to gate B14. The captain stated that as they began to turn right into the ramp, Ramp Control instructed flight 1276 to give way to opposite-direction traffic. While the captain was looking forward to identify the traffic, the first officer called out, "Stop, Stop, Stop!" The captain immediately applied full brakes. The flight crew then heard and felt an impact coming from the right side of the forward fuselage.
Aftermath
The pilots notified ramp control and held position. Ground support personnel arrived quickly to assist. Ground personnel informed the pilot via inter-phone that a tug and baggage cart had impacted the fuselage and was against the nose gear. The ground personnel reported to the crew that the tug driver was okay but that he did not know where he was or how he got there. The crew and passengers deplaned via the ventral stairs with no further incident. The tug driver did not cooperate with the investigation.