Airbus Industrie A-320-232 accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, February 1, 1999
On February 1, 1999 at about 3:10 pm local time, a Airbus Industrie A-320-232, registered N640AW, was involved in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 134 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The injured passenger's failure to follow the instructions of the cabin attendants.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 1999 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 134 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A-320-232 A320-232 · all A-320-232s on the register
- Registration
- N640AW · no longer on the register · serial 448
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the statements of the three cabin attendants and the flight crew, the aircraft had been in light to moderate turbulence for most of the flight. The seat belt sign was illuminated and several public address system announcements had been made for the passengers to remain seated with their seat belts fastened. The flight and cabin crewmembers reported that at the time of the incident the turbulence had abated and the ride was smooth; however, the seat belt sign remained illuminated. A 70-year-old male passenger in seat 23C got up and began walking toward the aft lavatory. One cabin attendant told the passenger to return to his seat unless it was an absolute necessity to visit the lavatory. The passenger, who has two artificial legs, declined to follow the cabin attendant's instruction and continued to the aft galley area where he fell, fracturing his hip. The crew obtained medical advice by radio from Med Link, and, after consultation with a physician, the aircraft continued to its destination.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,554 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 24, 1998; 480 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 169,000 lb
- Seats: 156
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Int'L Aero En V2527 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: America West Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: TPA Tampa FL at 11:40 am
- Destination: LAS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 80 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 129 |
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.