# NTSB DCA25LA251: Boeing 737-924ER, N66831, Las Vegas, NV, July 2, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 2, 2025, 00:22 local (07:22 UTC) - Place: Las Vegas, NV - Coordinates: 36.073611, -115.12976 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0736&lon=-115.1298&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Tailstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 154 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 14, 2026 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 200488 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA25LA251 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200488/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200488 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25LA251 ## Probable cause The first officer’s failure to maintain proper pitch attitude during flare which resulted in a bounced landing and a tailstrike. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: pitch control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing 737-924ER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md?model=13848A3), [All aircraft, 526 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Copilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing 737-924ER, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=13848A3), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Tailstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091) (defining event); cases with it: [Boeing 737-924ER, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091/sequence.md?model=13848A3), [All aircraft, 124 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091/sequence.md) ## Analysis United Airlines flight 2136 sustained a tail strike while landing at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada. The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from Washington Dulles Airport (IAD), Dulles, Virginia to LAS. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage near the tail. According to the flight crew, the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying, and the captain was the pilot monitoring when they were cleared to land on runway 26L at LAS. The FO elected to disengage the autopilot and autothrottle at approximately 1,600 feet above ground level (AGL). According to the flightcrew, the airplane was in the landing configuration and during the descent, stabilized approach criteria was met at 1,500 ft., 1,000 ft. and 500 ft. AGL, and the airspeed was close to the correct approach speed. The captain stated he heard the aircraft aural callouts below 50 feet, and upon hearing “20” he felt no column movement indicative of the start of a flare maneuver, and he stated “flare”, and he felt the column begin to move, quickly followed by the “10” callout. Data from the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) showed that about 4 seconds prior to the first touchdown, the control column began to move in the airplane nose up direction, increasing the pitch to 7 degrees as the main gear weight on wheels indicator transitioned to “ground”. The column was pushed forward several degrees as the air/ground indicator returned to “air” and the pitch angle reduced to 3.7 degrees. The column was then moved aft in the airplane nose up direction as the weight on wheels transitioned to “ground” again, and the airplane attained a maximum pitch angle of 8.2 degrees and experienced 2.4g vertical acceleration during the second transition of weight on wheel indicator to “ground”. Both pilots reported feeling a second touchdown. The captain then took control of the aircraft for the exit from the runway. The airplane exited the runway and taxied uneventfully to the gate. Post flight inspection revealed damage to the airplane tail skid assembly and substantial damage to lower fuselage primary structure in the aft portion of the aircraft, requiring replacement of several principal structural elements. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N66831](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N66831), registered now, S/N 44562, built 2014 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOEING 737-924ER - Registry model: [Boeing 737-924ER](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-924er) (registry code 13848A3) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [CFM International CFM56-7B27E series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/cfm-international-cfm56-7b27e-series) (registry code 13078, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 44562 - Year built: 2014 - Engines: CFM INTL CFM56-7B27E 27300 lbs thrust turbo fan; CFM INTL CFM56-7B27E 27300 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: United Airlines Inc - Registered owner: United Airlines Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: IAD, Dulles, VA - Destination: Same as departure - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: LAS, Harry Reid International Airport, runway 26L, 10,526 × 150 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 54; injuries: none; military, airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 9, 2025; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 9,030 total, 5,683 in this make and model, 4,980 as pilot in command, 187 in the last 90 days, 56 in the last 30 days, 9 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 33; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 1, 2024; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 2,795 total, 382 in this make and model, 1,452 as pilot in command, 170 in the last 90 days, 71 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 330° at 15 knots, gusting 23 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 91 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 29.82 inHg - Observed at: KLAS ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20250702021339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250702021339A), Jul 2, 2025: Boeing 737-924ER, Las Vegas, NV, Substantial damage. First officer was flying B737-900 landing in Las Vegas runway 26L during VMC conditions tail contacted runway during the landing causing substantial damage. No… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 14, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200488. 31.9 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 3.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20202089&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=UA2136%20NTSB%206120_1_redacted-Rel.pdf - Cockpit voice recorder - specialist's factual report (item 2, PDF, 8 pages, 186 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20204451&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Cockpit%20Voice%20Recorder%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report-Rel.pdf - Flight data recorder specialist's factual report (item 3, PDF, 13 pages, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19492601&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FINAL_Report_DCA25LA251-Rel.pdf - Flight data recorder - attachment 1 (tabular data) (item 4, CSV, 26.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20003189&FileExtension=csv&FileName=FINAL_DCA25LA251_Attachment1_TabularData-Rel.csv - Pilot's statement - captain (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 47 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20195075&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=UA2136%20NTSB%20Statement%20CA%20(FINAL)-Rel.pdf - Pilot's statement - first officer (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 20 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20193972&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=UA2136%20NTSB%20Statement%20FO%20(FINAL)-Rel.pdf 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.