You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.
| Date: | Friday 16 March 1990 |
| Time: | 17:57 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-3G7 |
| Owner/operator: | America West Airlines |
| Registration: | N306AW |
| MSN: | 24633/1809 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1990 |
| Engine model: | CFMI CFM56-3 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 110 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Santa Ana-John Wayne Airport, CA (SNA/KSNA) -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Santa Ana-John Wayne Airport, CA (SNA/KSNA) |
| Las Vegas-McCarran International Airport, NV (LAS/KLAS) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane sustained a tail strike during rotation. The flight continued to Las Vegas, and post-flight inspection revealed that there was substantial damage to the pressure bulkhead. The company's operational manual cautions the flight crew to limit the initial pitch attitude to 9-10 deg, and to rotate smoothly at a maximum rate of 3 deg/sec. The DFDR readout revealed that the rotation rate exceeded 7 deg/sec.
probable cause: the pilot's improper rotation during takeoff.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX90LA122
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/45385 (Photo)
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 25 August 2001 | N306AW | America West Airlines | 0 | Baltimore/Washington International Airport, MD (BWI) | |
sub |
| Runway excursion | ||||||
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Mar-2024 12:45 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
| 04-May-2025 12:48 | Justanormalperson | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2025 Flight Safety Foundation