Boeing 767 36N accident near Kabul, Af, June 20, 2014
On June 20, 2014 at about 7:37 pm local time, a 1999 Boeing 767 36N, registered N768NA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Kabul (Kabul International Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 4 people had minor injuries; 77 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the early reduction of engine thrust that resulted in an excessive sink rate and nose high pitch attitude during the landing flare. Contributing to the accident was a significant change in the vertical and horizontal wind components just prior to touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2014 · about 7:37 pm local time
- Place
- Kabul, Af · Kabul International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people had minor injuries; 77 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767 36N 36N, built 1999 · all 767 36Ns on the register
- Registration
- N768NA · registry record · serial 29898
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight experienced a tailstrike on landing resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and aft pressure bulkhead. There were no injuries to the passengers; however, four of the 16 crewmembers received minor injuries. According to the flight crew statements and recorder data, the landing reference speed for the approach was 145 knots. Due to the weather conditions, the flight crew added 10 knots to this for their approach speed due to the gusty weather conditions and conducted a visual approach using the visual approach slope indicator as guidance. As a result of the weather and gusty winds, airspeed fluctuated during the approach between 162 knots and 138 knots and engine thrust varied accordingly between about 86% N1 and 40% N1 on approach. The captain stated that the flight was on speed and glide path at 500 feet above the ground but at about 200 feet above the ground, the flight started to move above the glide path and airspeed started to increase. To compensate, the captain reduced engine power and then heard a "sink rate" aural alert when passing through about 50 feet. Flight recorder data indicated the engine N1 decreased to 40%, with throttles at forward idle position, at about 110 feet above the ground, and remained there until after touchdown. The airplane touched down at 140 knots and a nose up pitch attitude of 8.9 °, increasing to 9.5° immediately after touchdown. Guidance included in the operator's training manuals indicated that normal touchdown attitude should be between 4 and 6 degrees nose up. Additionally, guidance indicated that thrust should be managed on approach to maintain reference speed, plus any wind additive, until the beginning of the flare. After reaching the flare, thrust levers should be retarded smoothly to idle with main gear touchdown ideally occurring simultaneously with thrust levers reaching idle. An analysis of calculated vertical and horizontal wind effect indicated an existing updraft transitioned to a downdraft and a headwind component transitioned to a tailwind component during the last 5 seconds prior to touchdown.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,335 hours in all; 865 in this make and model; 119 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 13,730 as pilot in command; 2,637 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 16, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,500 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 98 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 19, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Flight time: 10,942 hours in all
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 44,687 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 12, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 348,220 lb
- Seats: 112
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Ge CF6-80 SERIES (turbofan); 65,858 hours total
- Engine 2: Ge CF6-80 SERIES (turbofan); 43,119 hours total
- Operator: Omni Air International INC
The flight
- Departed from: Bucharest
- Destination: OAKB Kabul
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 11,483 ft by 164 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 010° at 18 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 7:20 pm from OAKB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | 5 | ||
| Flight crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 65 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DCA14FA122.