Airbus 320 N448UA

Summary

On 20 October 2008 at about 19:42 local time, a Airbus 320 registered N448UA, operated by United Airlines, was involved in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona, United States. 162 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 October 2008 at 19:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Sky Harbor International (PHX)

Coordinates

33.4353, -112.0100

Aircraft

Airbus 320

Registration

N448UA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

United Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denver → Phoenix

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA09FA004

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the flightcrew to arrest an excessive sink rate during the flare for landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

United Airlines flight 1449, an Airbus A320, experienced a tailstrike on landing. Substantial damage occurred to the underbelly and aft bulkhead area. There were no injuries among the crew or passengers. According to the pilots, the approach was stabilized, on speed and on glide path, until the aircraft descended below 100 feet above the ground (AGL). Then, the airspeed began to slow below the approach speed of 141 knots, and the aircraft pitch attitude increased. At about 100 feet above the field elevation, the first officer pulled the thrust levers to idle. Shortly thereafter, the airspeed decreased to about 10 knots below approach speed. The first officer stated that he felt a “sense of ground rush” during the flare at about 70 feet and he increased back pressure on the side-stick to arrest the sink rate. The airplane touched down with a nose up pitch attitude of 12.3 degrees with the main landing gear compressed. The tail strike pitch limit at touchdown with the main landing gear compressed is 11.9 degrees nose up.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.