Boeing 737 incident near San Jose, Cr, July 11, 2019
On July 11, 2019 at about 8:15 am local time, a Boeing 737, registered N86534, suffered minor damage in an incident during takeoff near San Jose. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 156 people were on board or involved.
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
- July 11, 2019 · about 8:15 am local time
- Place
- San Jose, Costa Rica
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 156 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 824 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- N86534 · registry record · serial 62750
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
The CETAC of Costa Rica has notified the NTSB of an incident involving a Boeing 737 airplane that occurred on July 11, 2019. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the CETAC's investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as State of Manufacturer of the airplane.All investigative information will be released by the CETAC of Costa Rica.
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 takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 174,200 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B27E/F; 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B27E/F; 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: San Jose
- Destination: KEWR Newark
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 150 |
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.