Boeing 737 incident near Launceston, Au, January 4, 2013
On January 4, 2013 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Boeing 737, registered VHVUZ, was involved in an incident near Launceston. It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2013 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Launceston, Australia
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 8FE · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- VHVUZ · no longer on the register · serial 39921
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On 4 January 2013, at approximately 2020 local time, a B737-800, registration VH-VUZ, operated by Virgin Australia between Launceston and Malbourne, experienced a pitch excursion. During the climb, the crew did not select the appropriate vertical mode and the aircraft pitched forward to maintain minimum speed. The investigation is continuing. There were no injuries. The incident is being investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Inquiries regarding this incident should be directed to: Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) P.O. Box 967, Civic Square Canberra A.C.T. 2608 Australia
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
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Virgin Air INC
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.