Boeing B737 incident near Guatemala City, Gt, April 5, 2013
On April 5, 2013 at about 10:29 am local time, a Boeing B737, registered N279AD, suffered minor damage in an incident during takeoff near Guatemala City. It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
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
- April 5, 2013 · about 10:29 am local time
- Place
- Guatemala City, Guatemala
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing B737 4Q8
- Registration
- N279AD · registry record
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On 5 April 2013, at approximately 1029 local time, a Boeing 737-4Q8, registration N279AD, ingested a turkey vulture in the right engine during takeoff from La Aurora Airport, Guatemala City, Guatemala. Inspection of the airplane revealed damage to the first stage compressor of the right engine. There were no injuries. The incident is being investigated by the Departamento de Accidentes e Incidentes of the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) of Guatemala. The NTSB has appointed an Accredited Representative to assist the investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Design and Manufacture of the aircraft. All inquiries should be directed to the DGAC at: Departamento de Accidentes e Incidentes Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) 9 Ave. 14-75 Aeropuerto Internacional La Aurora zona 13 www.dgacguate.com
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
- Birdstrike during takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 5 |
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.