Boeing 737 incident near Tijuana, Mx, December 12, 2018
On December 12, 2018 at about 7:35 am local time, a Boeing 737, registered XAADV, suffered minor damage in an incident during approach near Tijuana (Tijuana airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- December 12, 2018 · about 7:35 am local time
- Place
- Tijuana, Mexico · Tijuana
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 800 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- XAADV · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
The DGAC of Mexico has notified the NTSB of an incident involving a Boeing 737 airplane that occurred on December 12, 2018. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the DGAC's investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as State of Manufacturer of the airplane.All investigative information will be released by the DGAC 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
- Aircraft structural failure during approach defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: Guadalajara
- Destination: Tijuana
- 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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 23, 2019. 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 | Boeing Eqa Lab Report | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Smithsonian Dna Swab Report | 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.