| Crash location | 34.268056°N, 88.770000°W |
| Nearest city | Tupelo, MS
34.257607°N, 88.703386°W 3.9 miles away |
| Tail number | N403XJ |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 16 Jul 2002 |
| Aircraft type | Saab-Scania AB (Saab) SF340B |
| Additional details: | None |
On July 16, 2002, about 0930 central daylight time, a Saab 340B, N403XJ, registered to Wachovia Bank NA Trustee, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 121 Mesaba air carrier flight, dba Northwest Airlink, was involved in a ground accident with a ramp agent at the Tupelo Regional Airport, Tupelo, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane received no damage, and the ramp agent received serious injuries. The flight arrived in Tupelo, Mississippi, at 0925, and was scheduled to depart at 0940.
According to the captain, the flightcrew did not see the accident. After they were given the "stop" signal by the marshaler, the flightcrew set parking brakes, set condition levers to start/feather, and were waiting for the "chocks in" signal from the marshaler when she appeared off the left nose of the aircraft holding her bleeding hand. At this time the captain performed an emergency left engine shutdown, instructed the first officer to finish the securing checklist and the passengers to stay seated, and exited the aircraft to lend assistance. He stated at no time was the captain's access port open.
According to an official with the FAA, the ramp agent had just placed chocks against the nose tires of the arriving flight, and as she approached the captain's access port to deliver flight documents to the crew, the port had not been opened. She then stuffed the papers into her breast pocket and readjusted the nose gear chocks. As she approached the captain's access port for the second time, the documents blew out of her breast pocket. As she scurried to retrieve them, her right hand contacted the engine number one rotating propeller. The propeller was feathered and winding down when the accident occurred. The ramp agent's right thumb and two adjacent fingers were severed.
According to the chief pilot of Mesaba Airlines, the ramp agent was an employee of Pinnacle Airlines who contracts with Mesaba to conduct ground handling of aircraft at the Tupelo airport. The Mesaba ground handling manual states that any part of the ramp aft of the nose gear of the Saab 340 is a prohibited zone and is not to be occupied until propellers have stopped rotating.
The Tupelo Station Manager for Pinnacle Airlines confirmed that the training given to their ramp agents states that no part of the ramp aft of the Saab's front loading door should be occupied until propellers have stopped. The accident ramp agent had received the training. He stated further that the accident happened, primarily, due to impulse reaction when the dispatch papers blew out of the agent's breast pocket.
The failure of the ground agent to follow procedures and directives and to maintain a visual lookout due to a diversion of attention caused by paperwork being sucked toward the rotating propeller, resulting in collision between her hand and the propeller.