Boeing 737 accident near Denver, Colorado, June 9, 2019
On June 9, 2019 at about 9:55 pm local time, a 2009 Boeing 737, registered N75436, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Denver, Colorado (Denver Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 184 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the early initiation of the landing flare that resulted in a high pitch attitude and tailstrike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2019 · about 9:55 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Denver Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 184 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 924ER, built 2009 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- N75436 · registry record · serial 33531
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On June 9, 2019, about 1555 MDT, United Airlines flight 401, a B737-924ER, N75436, experienced a tailstrike during landing at Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado. There were no injuries to the 184 passengers and crew onboard. The airplane received substantial damage. The regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Reno International Airport (RNO), Reno, Nevada to DEN. The first officer (FO) was the pilot flying and the captain was the pilot monitoring. During short final, the FO noticed he was about 5 knots fast, and about 50 feet above the runway, started to slowly reduce power and start the landing flare. At touchdown the airplane bounced. The FO was about to advance throttles for a go-around, when the captain took control and continued the landing after a second bounce. During the post flight walk around, the flight crew observed that the lower aft fuselage had sustained damaged due to a tailstrike. Maintenance examination of the airplane found that the tailskid cartridge was compressed and there was substantial damage to the fuselage skin, frames, stringer clips and shear ties between fuselage station 827 to 907 and deformed stringers 27L and 27R.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Copilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,041 hours in all; 3,139 in this make and model; 174.6 in the last 90 days; 38.2 in the last 30 days; 5,089 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 12, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 45.4 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 2,450 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 20, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33,901 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, May 31, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 157,300 lb
- Seats: 188
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Ge CFM56-7B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Ge CFM56-7B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Air Lines INC
The flight
- Departed from: KRNO Reno NV at 3:11 am
- Destination: KDEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16R, 16,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.45 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from KDEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 178 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 1, 2024. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo of Damage to Aircraft | picture | View Download |
| 3 | United Damage Assessment | PDF, 22 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Captain Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Fo Statement | PDF, 1 page | 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.