Boeing B737-2H4 incident near Ontario, California, February 16, 1982
On February 16, 1982 at about 5:04 am local time, a Boeing B737-2H4, registered N73717, suffered minor damage in an incident near Ontario, California (Ontario International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 119 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 1982 · about 5:04 am local time
- Place
- Ontario, California · Ontario International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 119 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing B737-2H4
- Registration
- N73717 · no longer on the register · serial 20345
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BECAUSE THE GLIDE SLOPE HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM SERVICE, AIR CAL FLIGHT 754 WAS VECTORED BY THE ONTARIO TRACON 'N' CONTROLLER FOR A LOCALIZER ONLY APPROACH TO RUNWAY 26L. THE FIRST OFFICER STATED HE DESCENDED TO 1,200 FT AFTER PASSING THE FAF/OM. THE CAPTAIN THEN TOLD HIM TO HOLD HIS ALTITUDE BECAUSE HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING THE LOCATION OF BAKES INTERSECTION(1,500 FT MSL MUST BE MAINTAINED UNTIL PASSING BAKES). SHORTLY AFTER THIS THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A POWERLINE ABOUT 3 MILES FROM THE APPROACH END OF 26L AND 1.7 MILES BEFORE REACHING BAKES. THE CREW THEN PERFORMED A MISSED APPROACH AND DIVERTED TO LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL WHERE THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED TO RUN OFF THE RUNWAY DUE TO LOSS OF EFFECTIVE BRAKING AND REVERSE THRUST. CONTROLLERS HANDLING THE FLIGHT STATED THEY SAW A MINIMUM SAFE ALTITUDE WARNING (MSAW) FOR THE FLIGHT JUST PRIOR TO AIR CAL BUT DID NOT SEE OR HEAR AN ALERT FOR FLIGHT 754. INFORMATION ON THE CONTINUOUS DISC RECORDING SHOWED THAT AN MSAW WAS SOUNDED FOR BOTH AIRCRAFT.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,950 hours in all; 2,780 in this make and model; 159 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 110,000 lb
- Seats: 119
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9A (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OAK Oakland CA at 8:12 pm
- Destination: Mccollum GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 136°F (58°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from ONT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 114 |
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.