Boeing 737-790 incident near Los Angeles, California, October 19, 2006
On October 19, 2006 at about 8:00 am local time, a Boeing 737-790, registered N614AS, was involved in an incident near Los Angeles, California. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A complete failure and depressurization of both hydraulic systems due to two separate events: 1) the failure of a engine driven pump on the 'A' system, and 2) the fatigue fracture and failure of a hydraulic line on the 'B' system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 2006 · about 8:00 am local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-790 · all 737-790s on the register
- Registration
- N614AS · registry record · serial 30343
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, just after entry into foreign airspace, the flight crew was alerted to a System B hydraulic failure, and they decided to return to, and land in the United States (US). Upon re-entry to US airspace, the flight crew declared an emergency and requested to land at the departure airport. On final approach, about 5 minutes after selecting flaps to 15 and lowering the landing gear, the flight crew was alerted to the System A hydraulic quantity gage, that had dropped to 0 pounds per square inch (psi). At this point both System A LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS illuminated and the airplane went into the manual reversion mode. The flight crew indicated that the airplane was difficult to control; however, they landed uneventfully at the airport. Maintenance personnel for the airline, and the airplane manufacturer, inspected the hydraulic systems. They noted that the initiating event was a failed engine driven pump. The secondary event was a cracked hydraulic line that failed due to fatigue. A metallurgical examination revealed the fatigue fracture initiated at the toe of the welding root where they were able to locate a crack that had propagated through half the perimeter. The airframe manufacturer redesigned the affected tube, part number 272A4451-87, a titanium tube, with part number 272A4451-200, a stainless steel tube.
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 sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,363 hours in all; 8,113 in this make and model; 3,870 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,932 hours in all; 3,997 in this make and model; 2,093 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 174,200 lb
- Seats: 177
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CFM56SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CFM56SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAX Los Angeles CA at 7:00 am
- Destination: MMX Mexico City
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 am from LAX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 |
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.