Boeing 737-300 accident near New York, New York, June 8, 2006
On June 8, 2006 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Boeing 737-300, registered N403TZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near New York, New York (La Guardia airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 143 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The foreign object damage to the horizontal stabilizer during taxi as a result of improper airport maintenance by contract maintenance personnel. The aluminum plate was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2006 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- New York, New York · La Guardia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 143 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-300 · all 737-300s on the register
- Registration
- N403TZ · no longer on the register · serial 24664
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was damaged when a piece of aluminum diamond plate material that was left on the taxiway during taxiway maintenance became airborne and struck the tail of the airplane while it was taxiing for takeoff. Examination by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the plate had been left on the taxiway by workers for a company performing maintenance on the taxiway. The plate was used to cover the area on the taxiway that was receiving maintenance. According to the FAA representative, the plate was an aluminum diamond plate material, not steel, and was supposed to have been a thicker and hence heavier steel plate to prevent it from being affected by the jet blast from taxiing airplanes. Guidance to the construction company regarding the use of such plates was provided by the FAA and the airport authority.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,948 hours in all; 159 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 5,465 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,438 hours in all; 162 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 3,356 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Last flight review: December 1, 2005
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 41,717 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 1, 2006; 514 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 130,000 lb
- Seats: 143
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CFM56-3C1A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CFM56-3C1A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGA New York NY at 9:00 pm
- Destination: MDW Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from LGA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 138 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.