Boeing 757-222 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, March 21, 1992
On March 21, 1992 at about 8:29 pm local time, a Boeing 757-222, registered N519UA, was involved in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona (Sky Harbour Int'L airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 153 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE GROUND GUIDE'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES AND HIS IMPROPER VISUAL LOOKOUT BY FAILING TO REMAIN CLEAR OF THE NOSE GEAR DURING THE PUSH BACK OPERATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 1992 · about 8:29 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Sky Harbour Int'L
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 153 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-222 · all 757-222s on the register
- Registration
- N519UA · no longer on the register · serial 24872
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A RAMP GUIDEMAN WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN A BOEING 757-222 RAN OVER HIS RIGHT LEG WITH THE NOSE GEAR DURING PUSH BACK. TWO GROUND PERSONNEL WERE INVOLVED IN THE OPERATION ON THE RAMP AREA. ONE PERSON WAS THE TRACTOR DRIVER AND THE OTHER PERSON WAS THE GUIDEMAN. THE GUIDEMAN WAS WALKING TO THE RIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE'S FUSELAGE AND AFT OF THE NOSE GEAR. DURING THE PUSH BACK THE GUIDEMAN MOVED TOWARDS THE AIRPLANE'S FUSELAGE. THE GUIDEMAN FAILED TO SEE AND AVOID THE ONCOMING NOSE GEAR TO MAINTAIN PROPER CLEARANCE. THE NOSE GEAR CAUGHT THE GUIDEMAN'S RIGHT HEEL AND RAN OVER HIS RIGHT LEG CRUSHING AND SEVERING IT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE YELLOW TAXI LINE IN THE GATE AREA. THE GUIDEMAN HAD COMPLETED HIS RECURRENT ANNUAL RAMP TRAINING IN FEBRUARY 1992. ACCORDING TO THE AIRLINE, THE GUIDE PERSON SHOULD NOT HAVE POSITIONED HIMSELF ON THE YELLOW LINE DURING PUSH BACK.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,564 hours in all; 748 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,368 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 8, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 230,000 lb
- Seats: 203
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PW 2000/40 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines
The flight
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 26 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:08 pm from PHX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 147 |
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.