Boeing 737-300 accident near Santa Ana, California, March 17, 1990
On March 17, 1990, a Boeing 737-300, registered N306AW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Ana, California (John Wayne airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 110 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER ROTATION DURING TAKEOFF.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1990
- Place
- Santa Ana, California · John Wayne · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 110 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-300 · all 737-300s on the register
- Registration
- N306AW · no longer on the register · serial 24633
- 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 AIRPLANE SUSTAINED A TAIL STRIKE DURING ROTATION. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED TO LAS VEGAS, AND POST-FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE PRESSURE BULKHEAD. THE COMPANY'S OPERATIONAL MANUAL CAUTIONS THE FLIGHT CREW TO LIMIT THE INITIAL PITCH ATTITUDE TO 9-10 DEG, AND TO ROTATE SMOOTHLY AT A MAXIMUM RATE OF 3 DEG/SEC. THE DFDR READOUT REVEALED THAT THE ROTATION RATE EXCEEDED 7 DEG/SEC.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,240 hours in all; 3,725 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 135,000 lb
- Seats: 149
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CFM 56-3-B1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: America West Airlines
The flight
- Destination: LAS Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19R, 5,700 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N306AW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.