The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB DCA17WA198 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Boeing 737 accident near Adelaide, Au, September 13, 2017

On September 13, 2017 at about 5:30 am local time, a Boeing 737, registered UNK, was involved in an accident during enroute (descent) near Adelaide. 1 person was seriously injured.

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. 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
September 13, 2017 · about 5:30 am local time
Place
Adelaide, Australia
Type
Accident
Injuries
1 person was seriously injured.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Boeing 737 · all 737s on the register
Registration
UNK · no longer on the register
Damage
Not recorded
Flight
Flight

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

The ATSB of Australia has notified the NTSB of an accident involving a Boeing 737 airplane that occurred on September 13, 2017. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the government of Australia'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. Turbulence encounter during enroute (descent) defining event

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: fixed

Weather at the time

  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Cabi1

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.

Other NTSB records under UNK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time

2025-07-19OPS25LA052 · incident near Minot, ND · no injuries
2021-07-31DCA21WA205 · incident near Perth, outside the U.S.
2021-05-07GAA21WA111 · accident near Estepona · destroyed · fatal
2019-12-05DCA20IA034 · incident near Los Angeles, CA · no injuries
2017-01-20DCA17WA066 · incident near Darlot · minor damage · no injuries
2016-12-15OPS17IA008 · incident near San Francisco, CA
2016-12-12DCA17WA065 · incident near Adelaide · no injuries
2015-08-04DCA15WA174 · incident near Toronto
2014-04-29OPS14IA007 · incident near Powhatan, VA · minor damage · minor injuries
2009-08-05CEN09CA497 · accident near Abbeville, LA · substantial damage · serious injuries

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.