Airbus Industrie A-320-231 incident near Santa Ana, California, September 21, 1991
On September 21, 1991 at about 5:15 am local time, a Airbus Industrie A-320-231, registered N633AW, was involved in an incident near Santa Ana, California (John Wayne airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 80 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT ASSIGNED TO THE AFT GALLEY JUMPSEAT TO SECURE A BEVERAGE CART IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY POLICY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 1991 · about 5:15 am local time
- Place
- Santa Ana, California · John Wayne
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 80 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A-320-231 · all A-320-231s on the register
- Registration
- N633AW · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A FRACTURED ANKLE AFTER BEING HIT WITH A BEVERAGE CART WHICH WAS NOT SECURED BY THE AFT GALLEY FLIGHT ATTENDANT PRIOR TO LANDING. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT'S ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED TO OTHER MATTERS PRIOR TO LANDING AND SHE FAILED TO PROPERLY STOW THE CART IN ACCORDANCE TO AMERICA WEST POLICY GUIDELINES.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 302,000 lb
- Seats: 155
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Int'L Aero En 2500-A1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 5,700 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 75 |
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.