Boeing 737 accident near Victorville, California, May 19, 2020
On May 19, 2020 at about 10:16 pm local time, a Boeing 737, registered N820TJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Victorville, California. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 95 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Improper installation of dorsal fin attach bolts which caused the dorsal fin to separate during flight, substantially damaging the left horizontal stabilizer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2020 · about 10:16 pm local time
- Place
- Victorville, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 95 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 8Q8 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- N820TJ · no longer on the register · serial 28218
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After departure, the air carrier airplane was climbing through an altitude of about 8,000 ft, at which time the flight crew heard a loud bang. Because the flight instruments and gauges showed nothing abnormal, the flight crew elected to continue the flight to the destination airport. The airplane landed uneventfully. Postflight inspection of the airplane found that the dorsal fin and three panels on the lower left side of the vertical stabilizer were missing, and that the left horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged. Most of the dorsal fin, the vertical stabilizer panels, and 7 of the 14 bolts attaching the dorsal fin to the fuselage were not recovered. Of the seven bolts that were recovered, four remined installed, and three were found loose. Three of the four installed bolts remained attached to pieces of the dorsal fin structure. Examination of the photographs showed that the bolts installed in three positions on the left side of the dorsal fin were the correct part number. The bolt installed in a position on the right side of the dorsal fin was not the correct part number, and the bolt was longer than required. The photographs also showed remnants of old sealant at each of the bolt locations but no evidence that sealant was applied during maintenance of the dorsal fin in February 2019 (less than 3 months before the accident). The seven missing bolts for the dorsal fin structure became loose, had fractured, or were not properly installed.
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
- Part(s) separation from AC during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Empennage structure › Horizontal stabilizer › Damaged/degraded
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Empennage structure › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 5, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,690 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 1,967 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: Swift Air LLC
The flight
- Departed from: VCV Victorville CA at 10:14 pm
- Destination: SAN San Diego CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 88 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 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 | Redacted Crew Statements | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Structures Group Chairman's Factual Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report 20-040 | PDF, 21 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Flight Data Recorder - Specialista��s Factual Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Flight Data Recorder - Attachment 1 | data file | Download |
| 7 | Cockpit Voice Recorder - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 5 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.