# Accident 20250718018609A: Airbus Industrie A319-131, Santa Barbara, CA, July 18, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 18, 2025, 17:30 local time
- Place: Santa Barbara, CA
- Airport: Santa Barbara Municipal
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: CALA
- Location: 34.4262° N, 119.8400° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4262&lon=-119.8400&mi=10
- Aircraft: N822UA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N822UA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Airbus Industrie A319-131 (registry code 3930317, https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-industrie-a319-131) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: IAE V2500SERIES (registry code 34601, https://openairdocs.org/engine/iae-v2500series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A319-131
- Reported engine: IAE V2500SERIES
- People aboard: 133
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 16,690 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DCA25LA268](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25LA268) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250718018609A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DURING THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVAL SEQUENCE, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A FAULT WITH THE APU ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND REQUIRED AN EXTERNAL POWER SOURCE PRIOR TO SHUTTING DOWN BOTH ENGINES. THE FLIGHT CREW SHUTDOWN THE NUMBER 2 (RIGHT) ENGINE AND THE NUMBER 1 (LEFT) ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, THE MARSHALLER DISPLAYED THE STOP SIGNAL, AND THE APPROPRIATE AGENT PLACED THE NOSE CHOCKS. THE MARSHALLER THEN GAVE THE HAND SIGNAL TO THE FLIGHT CREW INDICATING THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS CHOCKED AND LOWERED HIS HANDS. AT THIS POINT, STANDARD PROCEDURE IS FOR THE WING WALKERS TO WAIT FOR A CLEAR SIGNAL BEFORE APPROACHING THE AIRCRAFT.

THE RAMP AGENT AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT EITHER MISUNDERSTOOD THE SIGNALS OR MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THEY HAD RECEIVED THE ALL-CLEAR SIGNAL. THE AGENT EITHER DID NOT SEE THAT THE ROTATING BEACON WAS STILL ILLUMINATED OR UNDERSTAND THE ILLUMINATED ROTATING BEACON WAS AN INDICATOR THE ENGINE(S) WERE RUNNING. THE AGENT APPROACHED THE AIRCRAFT FROM BEHIND THE LEFT (NUMBER 1) ENGINE WITH CHOCKS IN HAND. THE LEAD AGENT FOR THE ARRIVAL ATTEMPTED TO RADIO THE RAMP AGENT TO STOP THEIR APPROACH. NO ONE WAS ABLE TO PHYSICALLY INTERVENE. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE RAMP AGENT FORCEFULLY PUSHED DOWN BY THE ENGINE EXHAUST. THE INJURED AGENT’S RADIO APPEARED TANGLED AROUND THEIR WAIST, AND THEY LANDED FACE-FIRST ON THE GROUND, APPEARING TO BOUNCE SLIGHTLY ON IMPACT. THE INJURED AGENT THEN CRAWLED AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND LOOKED VERY DISORIENTED. THE INJURED AGENT WAS TRANSPORTED IN A COMPANY VEHICLE TO THE HOSPITAL FOR EVALUATION AND TREATMENT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DCA25LA268](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25LA268), Jul 19, 2025: Airbus Industrie A319-131 (N822UA), Santa Barbara, CA, no damage. Probable cause: The ramp worker’s premature entry into the jet blast hazard area of an operating engine due to his failure to maintain situational awareness and his misinterpretation of the marshaller’s hand signals.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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