Airbus 320 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, October 20, 2008
On October 20, 2008 at about 7:42 pm local time, a Airbus 320, registered N448UA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Phoenix, Arizona (Sky Harbor International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 162 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the flightcrew to arrest an excessive sink rate during the flare for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 2008 · about 7:42 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Sky Harbor International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 162 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus 320 232
- Registration
- N448UA · registry record · serial 842
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
What happened, in order
- Tailstrike during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Flight crew
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 2,095 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,725 hours in all; 2,835 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 34,617 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 8, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 169,700 lb
- Seats: 162
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Iae V2500 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Iae V2500 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: DEN Denver CO at 6:47 pm
- Destination: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 08, 11,489 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 156 |
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.