Boeing 757-200 incident near Richmond, Bc, Ca, August 27, 2004
On August 27, 2004 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Boeing 757-200, registered N526UA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Richmond, Bc. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 130 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The slat was impacted by birds after takeoff and subsequently the slat delaminated due to flight loads.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2004 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Richmond, Bc, Canada · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 130 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-200 · all 757-200s on the register
- Registration
- N526UA · no longer on the register · serial 24994
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight crew reported hearing a "grinding noise" during initial flap retraction after takeoff. A flight attendant subsequently notified the flight crew that there was a loud "hum and vibration" coming from the right wing. The captain instructed the flight attendant to scan the wing for any anomalies. The flight attendant notified the crew of damage to the wing's leading edge. The flight crew immediately diverted to Seattle, Washington, and performed a normal landing. A post event assessment of the slat by United Airline's engineering staff said "while there is no evidence of bird remains, it is our opinion that the damage was due to impact following takeoff, most likely bird, with subsequent damage caused by flight loads. The crew did not observe birds in the area. The characteristic of the damage does not lend itself to fatigue/delamination of the slat as cause." This incident was delegated to the NTSB by the Canadian TSB.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,170 hours in all; 5,135 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 15, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,631 hours in all; 3,209 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 15, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 45,605 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 24, 2003; 3,485 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 240,000 lb
- Seats: 193
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PW2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YVR Vancouver, Bc at 6:16 pm
- Destination: ORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from SEA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 124 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N526UA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.