Boeing 757-223 accident near Santa Ana, California, December 22, 1989
On December 22, 1989 at about 6:34 am local time, a Boeing 757-223, registered N611AM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Ana, California (Orange County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 111 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE COPILOT'S OVERROTATION OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE FLARE WHICH ALLOWED THE TAIL TO COLLIDE WITH THE RUNWAY. THE FAILURE OF THE CAPTAIN TO TAKE APPROPRIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 1989 · about 6:34 am local time
- Place
- Santa Ana, California · Orange County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 111 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-223 · all 757-223s on the register
- Registration
- N611AM · registry record · serial 24487
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE TAIL OF A BOEING 757 STRUCK THE RUNWAY DURING A VISUAL NIGHT LANDING AT THE ORANGE COUNTY AIRPORT. THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER INDICATED A PITCH ATTITUDE OF 11.074 DEGREES FOR TWO SECONDS AT TOUCHDOWN. THE BOEING COMPANY STATED THE MAXIMUM PITCH AT TOUCHDOWN SHOULD NOT EXCEED 10.3 DEGREES. THIS WAS THE CAPTAIN'S FIRST NIGHT TIME FLIGHT INTO ORANGE COUNTY AIRPORT IN THIS TYPE OF AIRCRAFT. AIRCREWS CERTIFIED IN THE BOEING 767 AIRCRAFT ARE ALSO QUALIFIED IN THE BOEING 757 AIRCRAFT. AS OF FEBRUARY, 1990, THERE HAVE BEEN 27 KNOWN TAIL STRIKES IN THE 767 AND 51 TAIL STRIKES IN THE 757 AIRCRAFT DURING THE TAKEOFF AND LANDING PHASES OF FLIGHT.
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 engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,674 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 240,000 lb
- Seats: 194
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB-211-53 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dallas/Ft Worth TX at 3:32 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 5,700 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from SNA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 104 |
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.