Embraer EMB-135 accident near Los Angeles, California, May 21, 2009
On May 21, 2009 at about 11:25 pm local time, a Embraer EMB-135, registered N843AE, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles Int'L Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 47 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's failure to adequately monitor and maintain clearance from a parked aircraft while taxiing. Contributing to the accident was an improperly parked airplane that encroached upon the taxiway area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2009 · about 11:25 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles Int'L Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 47 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer EMB-135 KL · all EMB-135s on the register
- Registration
- N843AE · no longer on the register · serial 145680
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following push back from the gate, as the captain was taxiing the airplane from the ramp to the runway, the left horizontal stabilizer struck the right horizontal stabilizer of a parked company airplane at an adjacent gate, resulting in substantial damage to both airplanes' flight control surfaces. According to the flight crew statements and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident site, the parked airplane had been improperly parked with the right wing tip and horizontal stabilizer well outside the safety lines.
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
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Flight crew
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › Parking/storage › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 8,600 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,823 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,852 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Seats: 47
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: American Eagle Airlines Inc
The flight
- Departed from: LAX Los Angeles CA at 11:20 pm
- Destination: SAN San Diego CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 100 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from LAX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 44 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on January 21, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1: Tabular Data | data file | Download |
| 3 | Cockpit Voice Recorder 12 - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Damage Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 1 - Overview of Accident Site (FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 2 - Accident Site (FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 3 - Impact Area (FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N843AE: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Embraer EMB-135 ERJ 135 and Legacy 119 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Embraer 661 aircraft on the register
- Los Angeles International · nearest airport
- San Diego International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,279 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR09LA255.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.