Boeing 757-232 accident near San Francisco, California, July 12, 2001
On July 12, 2001 at about 1:30 am local time, a Boeing 757-232, registered N644DL, was involved in an accident near San Francisco, California (San Francisco International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 98 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the captain's excessive use of the flight controls to level off from a descent, which resulted in a passenger injury.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2001 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- San Francisco, California · San Francisco International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 98 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-232 · all 757-232s on the register
- Registration
- N644DL · no longer on the register · serial 23998
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The air carrier transport airplane experienced an abrupt maneuver during its initial descent. The first officer reported that the flight crew had been cleared to descend from FL 390 to FL 330. The captain initiated the descent and the first officer began programming the flight management system. The first officer looked up as the airplane was flying past FL330 and queried the captain. The captain then immediately pulled the aircraft out of the descent and leveled off at FL330. Shortly thereafter, the flight crew was notified of a passenger injury resulting from the event. The captain reported to the passengers that they encountered turbulence. All of the flight attendants reported a smooth flight prior to the event. The captain had illuminated the fasten seat belt sign, but no one could remember an announcement accompanying the sign illumination. All of the flight attendants and an injured passenger, who was in the lavatory at the time of the event, described being pushed downward during the occurrence. There were no flight data recorders, cockpit voice recorders, or air traffic control recordings to review, because the Safety Board was not notified of the accident until almost 1 year after the event.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,375 hours in all; 2,800 in this make and model; 242 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 7, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,084 hours in all; 1,197 in this make and model; 201 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 43,432 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 23, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 232,000 lb
- Seats: 189
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PW2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CVG Cincinnati OH
- Destination: SFO San Francisco CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 18 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 6 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 92 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.