Boeing 787-9 accident near Harbin, Cn, June 11, 2018
On June 11, 2018 at about 12:15 pm local time, a 2017 Boeing 787-9, registered N826AN, was involved in an accident during enroute near Harbin. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 290 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the accidental tipping over of a beverage service cart, when there was no turbulence, which caused pots of hot water to burn two flight attendants.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2018 · about 12:15 pm local time
- Place
- Harbin, China · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 290 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Boeing 787-9 9, built 2017 · all 787-9s on the register
- Registration
- N826AN · registry record · serial 40649
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On June 10, 2018, at about 1215 local time, American Airlines 181, N826AN, B787-9, was enroute to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) Beijing, China, when two flight attendants were burned as a result of a beverage cart tray being overturned with three pots of hot liquids on it. At the time of the event, the airplane was in smooth air with no turbulence. Of the 292 passengers and crew onboard, one flight attendant received minor injuries and one flight attendant received serious injuries. The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Los Angeles, California to PEK. The crew reported that the two injured flight attendants were in the aft galley setting up the beverage cart when the cart overturned. The injured flight attendants were treated by a passenger physician. Paramedics met the airplane at the gate and one flight attendant was transported to the hospital where she was diagnosed with 2nd degree burns and released.
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
- Cabin safety event during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Cabin crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,129 hours in all; 708 in this make and model; 161.1 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 2,415 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 18, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 717 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 71.3 in the last 90 days; 71.3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 17, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,519 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, June 10, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 553 lb
- Seats: 301
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric GENX1B-75P2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric GENX1B-75P2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: KLAX Los Angeles CA at 5:36 pm
- Destination: ZBAA Beijing
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| Flight crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 278 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on September 4, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.