Boeing 737-924ER accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, July 2, 2025
On July 2, 2025 at about 7:22 am local time, a 2014 Boeing 737-924ER, registered N66831, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Las Vegas, Nevada (Harry Reid International Airpo airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 154 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The first officer’s failure to maintain proper pitch attitude during flare which resulted in a bounced landing and a tailstrike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2025 · about 7:22 am local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · Harry Reid International Airpo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 154 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-924ER, built 2014 · all 737-924ERs on the register
- Registration
- N66831 · registry record · serial 44562
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
United Airlines flight 2136 sustained a tail strike while landing at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada. The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from Washington Dulles Airport (IAD), Dulles, Virginia to LAS. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage near the tail. According to the flight crew, the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying, and the captain was the pilot monitoring when they were cleared to land on runway 26L at LAS. The FO elected to disengage the autopilot and autothrottle at approximately 1,600 feet above ground level (AGL). According to the flightcrew, the airplane was in the landing configuration and during the descent, stabilized approach criteria was met at 1,500 ft., 1,000 ft. and 500 ft. AGL, and the airspeed was close to the correct approach speed. The captain stated he heard the aircraft aural callouts below 50 feet, and upon hearing “20” he felt no column movement indicative of the start of a flare maneuver, and he stated “flare”, and he felt the column begin to move, quickly followed by the “10” callout. Data from the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) showed that about 4 seconds prior to the first touchdown, the control column began to move in the airplane nose up direction, increasing the pitch to 7 degrees as the main gear weight on wheels indicator transitioned to “ground”. The column was pushed forward several degrees as the air/ground indicator returned to “air” and the pitch angle reduced to 3.7 degrees. The column was then moved aft in the airplane nose up direction as the weight on wheels transitioned to “ground” again, and the airplane attained a maximum pitch angle of 8.2 degrees and experienced 2.4g vertical acceleration during the second transition of weight on wheel indicator to “ground”. Both pilots reported feeling a second touchdown. The captain then took control of the aircraft for the exit from the runway. The airplane exited the runway and taxied uneventfully to the gate. Post flight inspection revealed damage to the airplane tail skid assembly and substantial damage to lower fuselage primary structure in the aft portion of the aircraft, requiring replacement of several principal structural elements.
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
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Copilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,030 hours in all; 5,683 in this make and model; 187 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 4,980 as pilot in command; 900 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 9, 2025
- 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,795 hours in all; 382 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 1,452 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 187,700 lb
- Seats: 191
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B27E (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B27E (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: IAD Dulles VA at 2:37 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26L, 10,526 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 330° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 5 | |||
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 147 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DCA25LA251.