Boeing 737-322 accident near Los Angeles, California, September 12, 1999
On September 12, 1999 at about 3:52 pm local time, a Boeing 737-322, registered N388UA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 86 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The lavatory service driver's failure to follow established company procedures and directives. A factor in the accident was the airline's use of a one person pushback procedure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 1999 · about 3:52 pm local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 86 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-322 · all 737-322s on the register
- Registration
- N388UA · registry record · serial 24663
- 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 flight was being pushed back by a tug when it contacted a lavatory service truck, which had pulled up at the rear of the airplane to service the lavatories. The airline uses one person pushback operations at this station for B737's. Under the procedure, the ground handler will walk around the airplane just before the pushback to ensure that the airplane's path is clear. Once the flight crew gives the clearance, the pushback commences without the aid of wing walkers or other safety observers. The handler assigned to this flight did his walk around after the jetway bridge had been moved back. Once he was cleared by the flight crew he leaned over the tow bar for one last look and then mounted the tractor to start the push. He did not see the lavatory service truck at any time and the lavatory driver did not verbally communicate his presence or intentions. The flight crew turned on the rotating beacon just before the aircraft started to move. During the push the handler felt resistance and stopped just as the lavatory service driver ran to the front of the airplane shouting for him to stop. Three calls had been made for lavatory service on this airplane, the last one 10 minutes prior to departure. The lavatory service driver originally assigned to handle this flight was busy. Another lavatory service driver heard the service request on the radio and responded to the airplane, arriving about 7 minutes prior to departure. When he arrived, the rotating beacon was not on, which signified to him that the pushback was not imminent. He parked his service truck under the tail of the airplane and proceeded to service the aft lavatory just as the airplane began to move and it contacted his truck. The airline's ramp operations manual states, 'Before approaching aircraft to perform last-minute servicing, at or near departure time, always establish positive verbal communication with the pushback tractor driver.'
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,701 hours in all; 2,578 in this make and model; 186 in the last 90 days; 81 in the last 30 days; 3,319 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 28,364 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 16, 1998; 3,264 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 131,000 lb
- Seats: 141
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cfm CFM56-3C-1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: LAX
- Destination: OAK Oakland CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from LAX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 81 |
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.