The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB DCA15WA210 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Boeing 737 incident near Nauru, Nr, June 12, 2015

On June 12, 2015 at about 9:00 am local time, a Boeing 737, registered VHNLK, was involved in an incident during approach near Nauru (Kosrae airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. 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
June 12, 2015 · about 9:00 am local time
Place
Nauru, Nauru · Kosrae
Type
Incident
Injuries
The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Boeing 737 · all 737s on the register
Registration
VHNLK · no longer on the register · serial 23635
Damage
Not recorded
Flight
Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules

The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record

The Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB) has notified the NTSB of an accident involving a BOEING 737 that occurred on June 12, 2015. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the ATSB's investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Manufacturer and Design of the airplane. All investigative information will be released by the ATSB.

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

  1. Miscellaneous/other during approach defining event

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Operator: Nauru Airlines

The flight

  • Departed from: Majuro
  • Destination: Nauru
  • Flight plan: IFR
  • A second pilot was aboard

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.