| Crash location | 42.364444°N, 71.005278°W |
| Nearest city | Boston, MA
42.358431°N, 71.059773°W 2.8 miles away |
| Tail number | N6710E |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 06 Mar 2005 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 757-232 |
| Additional details: | None |
On March 6, 2005, about 1830 eastern standard time, a flight attendant was seriously injured onboard a Boeing 757-232, N6710E, operating as Delta Airlines flight 2054, when it suddenly stopped on a taxiway at General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts. There was no damage to the airplane. The captain, first officer, 1 flight attendant and 185 passengers were not injured, and 2 flight attendants and 1 passenger received minor injuries. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight, between Logan and McCarran International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada. The scheduled passenger flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 121.
According to the captain's statement, after pushback from gate 21 and engine start, the crew was instructed to taxi to runway 22R via taxiway N. At that point, the airplane was pointed north, on taxiway A.
The captain began the taxi, and turned right, onto taxiway N. Approaching the intersection with runway 15R/33L, at a ground speed of 12 knots, the first officer "abruptly yelled, 'stop the aircraft,'" and the captain brought the airplane to an immediate stop.
After confirming no danger to the airplane, the crew advised ground control that they would hold their present position until they could check on the conditions in the cabin. When they did so, they found that one of the flight attendants had injured her elbow. The captain returned the airplane to the gate, and the flight attendant was replaced. Two additional flight attendants reported "some bruising but felt able to continue the flight."
En route to Las Vegas, one of the two flight attendants advised the captain of back pain, and the other felt sick to her stomach. A passenger, seated in seat 23B, also reported back pain, and that he had recent back surgery.
Upon arrival in Las Vegas, paramedics met the airplane. The passenger was released at that time, and the two flight attendants were taken to a hospital for further evaluation.
According to the first officer, the reason he told the captain to stop was because another airplane was on the crossing runway. The first officer thought it could be holding number one for takeoff, and he wanted to ensure that his airplane was on the correct taxiway before crossing the runway.
Delta Airlines Flight Safety Department personnel subsequently confirmed that one of the two flight attendants had been released from the hospital, but the other had remained in the hospital in excess of 48 hours with a herniated disk.
According to U.S. Naval Observatory data, sunset occurred in Boston at 1740, and civil twilight ended at 1809.
The first officer's misjudgment of a perceived threat, which resulted in the captain's excessive braking and subsequent injury to a flight attendant. A factor was the night lighting conditions.