- Date
- July 14, 1997, 20:34 local (Jul 15, 1997, 03:34 UTC)
- Place
- Ontario, CA
- Injuries
- 113 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N956UABoeing 737-522
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report November 10, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970714045209I
- Case key
- 29648
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
a laser light source of undetermined origin directed toward the cockpit window of an aircraft in-flight by a person or persons unknown.
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
The aircraft was descending on radar vectors for the final approach course when the crew noticed a red laser beam that swept across the cockpit several times. A few seconds later, the laser encounter reoccurred. The aircraft was several miles from the approach end of the runway when the crew saw the laser emanating from a point on the ground north of their position. The crew notified air traffic control of the incident. There was no injury to anyone onboard the aircraft. Investigators from the FDA, the FBI, as well as airborne law enforcement personnel were notified; however, the source of the light remains undetermined. There were no NOTAMs in effect for laser light activity in the area at the time of the incident.
Factual narrative
On July 14, 1997, at 2034 hours Pacific daylight time, the flight crew on United Airlines Flight 2327, reported an exposure to a laser beam during an approach to Ontario, California. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-522, N956UA, was operated by United Airlines as a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight under 14 CFR Part 121 when the incident occurred. The flight originated in San Francisco, California, at 1938 on the evening of the incident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the assigned altitude and an IFR flight plan was filed.
The aircraft was descending through 4,000 feet msl on a vector to intercept the final approach course to runway 26R at Ontario when the crew noticed a red laser beam that swept across the cockpit five to six times. About 5 seconds later, the laser encounter reoccurred. The aircraft was between 4 and 5 miles from the approach end of the runway when the crew saw the laser emanating from a point on the ground about 1.5 miles north of their position.
The crew notified air traffic control of the incident. There were no reports of injury to anyone onboard the aircraft.
Investigators from the FDA, the FBI, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Aero Bureau were notified; however, the source of the light remains undetermined. According to the FAA, there were no NOTAMs in effect for laser light activity in the Ontario area at the time of the incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N956UA
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-522
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26704
- Airframe hours
- 12,180
- Engine
- Cfm CFM56-3C, 22,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- United Airlines, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · June 23, 1997 · 210 hours before
- Departed
- SFO · San Francisco, CA
- Destination
- ONT
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ONT · Ontario International, runway 26R, 12,200 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 47
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,265 total · 1,997 in this make and model · 182 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ONT, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N956UA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.