What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
United airlines flight #734, a B-737-900, nose #3444, N36444 from san francisco (sfo) to Chicago, IL (ord) landed on runway 9L and overran the runway. The flight had 6 crew, and 179 passengers on board, no lap children or unaccompanied minors. There were no reported injuries on board and one airline employee was injured during the aircraft recovery.
The nose gear was approximately 15 feet off the end of the runway on frozen turf. Both main gear remained on the paved surface. Several runway edge lights were damaged in addition to runway threshold lights. There was no visible damage to the aircraft.
Passengers were deplaned via the 2R door onto buses to go to the terminal. Cargo was off loaded prior to aircraft movement.
Aircraft was pulled onto the pavement using straps on the main gears attached to a city operations tow truck. Plywood was placed under the path of the nose gear for support and traction on the ice. The aircraft was towed to the hangar with a united airlines tug after recovery.
Runway condition at the time of the incident was thin dry snow. Braking action reported good by previous landing aircraft.
One airline ground crew employee sustained a minor cut/laceration to the head while preparing the aircraft for towing
This incident is still under investigation. Awaiting further information from the certificate management office and the airports division once investigations are complete. When the results are received this report will be amended.
On 3/10/16 GL-31 attended a safety meeting with united airlines, united airlines cmo, ord ATC, airports division, and city of Chicago airfield operations. During this meeting, evidence was presented that reinforced weather and runway conditions as the causal factors of this incident.
Discussions also included ways of mitigating future risks with better coordination between air traffic and airfield operations and the airline.
As the FAA filed it
UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT #734, A B-737-900, NOSE #3444, N36444 FROM SAN FRANCISCO (SFO) TO CHICAGO, IL (ORD) LANDED ON RUNWAY 9L AND OVERRAN THE RUNWAY. THE FLIGHT HAD 6 CREW, AND 179 PASSENGERS ON BOARD, NO LAP CHILDREN OR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES ON BOARD AND ONE AIRLINE EMPLOYEE WAS INJURED DURING THE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY.
THE NOSE GEAR WAS APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY ON FROZEN TURF. BOTH MAIN GEAR REMAINED ON THE PAVED SURFACE. SEVERAL RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS WERE DAMAGED IN ADDITION TO RUNWAY THRESHOLD LIGHTS. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
PASSENGERS WERE DEPLANED VIA THE 2R DOOR ONTO BUSES TO GO TO THE TERMINAL. CARGO WAS OFF LOADED PRIOR TO AIRCRAFT MOVEMENT.
AIRCRAFT WAS PULLED ONTO THE PAVEMENT USING STRAPS ON THE MAIN GEARS ATTACHED TO A CITY OPERATIONS TOW TRUCK. PLYWOOD WAS PLACED UNDER THE PATH OF THE NOSE GEAR FOR SUPPORT AND TRACTION ON THE ICE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO THE HANGAR WITH A UNITED AIRLINES TUG AFTER RECOVERY.
RUNWAY CONDITION AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS THIN DRY SNOW. BRAKING ACTION REPORTED GOOD BY PREVIOUS LANDING AIRCRAFT.
ONE AIRLINE GROUND CREW EMPLOYEE SUSTAINED A MINOR CUT/LACERATION TO THE HEAD WHILE PREPARING THE AIRCRAFT FOR TOWING
THIS INCIDENT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. AWAITING FURTHER INFORMATION FROM THE CERTIFICATE MANAGEMENT OFFICE AND THE AIRPORTS DIVISION ONCE INVESTIGATIONS ARE COMPLETE. WHEN THE RESULTS ARE RECEIVED THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED.
ON 3/10/16 GL-31 ATTENDED A SAFETY MEETING WITH UNITED AIRLINES, UNITED AIRLINES CMO, ORD ATC, AIRPORTS DIVISION, AND CITY OF CHICAGO AIRFIELD OPERATIONS. DURING THIS MEETING, EVIDENCE WAS PRESENTED THAT REINFORCED WEATHER AND RUNWAY CONDITIONS AS THE CAUSAL FACTORS OF THIS INCIDENT.
DISCUSSIONS ALSO INCLUDED WAYS OF MITIGATING FUTURE RISKS WITH BETTER COORDINATION BETWEEN AIR TRAFFIC AND AIRFIELD OPERATIONS AND THE AIRLINE.