- Date
- January 16, 1990, 15:03 local (20:03 UTC)
- Place
- New York, NY
- Injuries
- 176 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N505UABoeing 757-222
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900116000739I
- Case key
- 17883
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Overrotation of the aircraft during takeoff. Factors related to the accident were: the first officer's improper use of the flight manual, which resulted in his improper calculations of the rotation speed, and inadequate supervision concerning verification of the takeoff data by the captain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While preparing for flt in a Boeing 757, the 1st officer (fo) inadvertently computed the takeoff data by using the Boeing 767 data. V1, vr & V2 speeds were calculated to be 115, 118 & 129 KTS. The correct speeds should have been 145, 148 & 152 KTS. The capt did not confirm the v-speed computation; both plts set their airspeed bugs at the improper speeds. During lift-off, the acft was overrotated & the lower aft fuselage contacted the rwy. The crew noted a 'jolt,' but elected to continue to their destn after discussing the situation with maintenance psnl. After landing, damage was noted to the lower aft skin, aft pressure bulkhead & associated structure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N505UA
- Reported as
- Boeing 757-222
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24626
- Airframe hours
- 459
- Engine
- P&W 2040, 37,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- United Airlines
- Registered owner
- U.T. Finance Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 27, 1989 · 166 hours before
- Departed
- LGA
- Destination
- DEN · Denver, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LGA · La Guardia, runway 31, 7,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16,594 total · 3,725 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command · 92 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 13 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LGA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.