Boeing 757-224 accident near Newark, New Jersey, September 27, 2021
On September 27, 2021 at about 1:38 pm local time, a 1998 Boeing 757-224, registered N12125, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Newark, New Jersey (Newark Liberty International A airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 172 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The nose high attitude on landing resulted in a tailstrike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 2021 · about 1:38 pm local time
- Place
- Newark, New Jersey · Newark Liberty International A · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 172 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-224, built 1998 · all 757-224s on the register
- Registration
- N12125 · registry record · serial 28967
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
United Airlines Flight 1117 experienced a tailstrike while landing at the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Newark, New Jersey. The captain was the pilot flying and receiving operational experience refresher (OER) training with a line check airman (LCA) who was the pilot monitoring and the pilot-in-command. All other phases of the flight were uneventful. According to the LCA, the captain suggested a go-around shortly after touchdown due to a significant pitch up, but the LCA thought the pitch was like the pitch up caused by ground spoiler deployment and advised the captain to continue the landing. However, the ground spoilers had not automatically deployed, and the airplane skipped and then began to bounce. The LCA took control of the airplane and attempted to execute a go-around, but because the engines had previously been placed in reverse thrust for the continuation of landing, the thrust levers would not advance so he elected to land on the remaining runway. According to United, during the LCA’s landing, the ground spoilers deployed normally. According to the aircraft manufacturer, a review of recorded data from the airplane revealed that prior to landing, the speedbrake lever had not been fully placed in its armed detent, which prevented automatic ground spoiler deployment upon landing. Additionally, operation of the reverse thrust levers to their deployed position would mechanically release the speedbrake lock mechanism and move the speedbrake lever out of the down-and-locked position into the armed detent position. This was evident in the recorded data and was likely the cause of the ground spoiler deployment being coincident with the thrust reverser deployment. The automatic ground spoiler deployment during the LCA’s landing resulted in an airplane nose-up pitch tendency (which is an expected aircraft behavior) for which the LCA failed to mitigate. As a result, the pitch attitude increased until the tail struck the runway. After the tailstrike, the remainder of the landing and landing rollout were normal with no risk of runway overrun or excursion. A post-flight inspection revealed substantial damage to the aft pressure bulkhead and frames.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,068 hours in all; 3,683 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,660 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot (unmanned)
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,400 hours in all; 4,277 in this make and model; 203 in the last 90 days; 67 in the last 30 days; 10,300 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 86,507 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 25, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 256,000 lb
- Seats: 181
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: KDEN Denver CO at 10:29 pm
- Destination: KEWR Newark NJ
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 22L, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 2988.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 am from KEWR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 166 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 21, 2022. 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N12125 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.