Boeing 737-500 incident near Rialto, California, April 17, 1997
On April 17, 1997 at about 4:10 am local time, a Boeing 737-500, registered N930UA, was involved in an incident near Rialto, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 99 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a laser light source of undetermined origin, directed by unknown person(s) toward the cockpit window of the aircraft, while the aircraft was on an approach to land.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 1997 · about 4:10 am local time
- Place
- Rialto, California · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 99 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-500 · all 737-500s on the register
- Registration
- N930UA · no longer on the register · serial 26655
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft was on a standard instrument arrival when the captain, who was on the controls, noticed a green light illuminating the aircraft. It appeared to him that the light was tracking the aircraft, but as he pointed out that fact to the first officer, the light disappeared. The captain reported that although the light caused a minimal yet persistent loss of night vision, he was able to maintain control of the aircraft throughout the remainder of the flight. He told ATC that the light appeared to emanate from the western edge of the city. A medical examination by Air Force specialists revealed no permanent evidence of eye damage. Investigators were unable to locate the source of the light. There were no NOTAMs for laser light activity at the time of the incident.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,661 hours in all; 1,160 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,042 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 16, 1997; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 130,000 lb
- Seats: 132
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cfm CFM56-3C (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFO San Fransisco CA at 3:29 am
- Destination: ONT Ontario CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 am from ONT, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 4 | ||
| Passengers | 95 |
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.