Airbus A320 incident near Tijuana, Mx, September 26, 2018
On September 26, 2018 at about 9:48 pm local time, a Airbus A320, registered XAVOW, was involved in an incident during enroute near Tijuana. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. 6 people had minor injuries; 166 others were unhurt.
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
- September 26, 2018 · about 9:48 pm local time
- Place
- Tijuana, Mexico
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 6 people had minor injuries; 166 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Airbus A320 233 · all A320s on the register
- Registration
- XAVOW · no longer on the register · serial 3543
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
The government of Mexico has notified the NTSB of an incident involving a AIRBUS A320 airplane that occurred on September 26, 2018. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the government of Mexico's investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13.All investigative information will be released by the government of Mexico.
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
- Turbulence encounter during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 4 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 | 160 |
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.