UPS B763 at San Bernardino on Jan 9th 2025, tail strike on landing

Last Update: October 24, 2025 / 09:36:22 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jan 9, 2025

Classification
Accident

Cause
Tail strike on landing

Airline
UPS

Flight number
5X-2918

Departure
Louisville, United States

Destination
Ontario, United States

Aircraft Registration
N324UP

Aircraft Type
Boeing 767-300

ICAO Type Designator
B763

A UPS United Parcel Service Boeing 767-300 freighter, registration N324UP performing flight 5X-2918 from Louisville,KY to Ontario,CA (USA) with 3 crew, diverted to San Bernardino,CA (USA) and landed on San Bernardino's runway 06. After roll out the crew advised tower that they had become destabilized just before touch down due to a windshear and had a tail strike. The aircraft taxied to the apron.

On Jan 16th 2025 the FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A TAILWIND ON LANDING, LANDED HARD AND INCURRED A TAIL STRIKE, SAN BERNARDINO, CA."

The aircraft was still in San Bernardino about 58 hours later.

On Oct 24th 2025 the NTSB released their final report and investigation docket concluding the probable cause of the accident was:

Encounter with windshear during landing which resulted in a tailstrike.

The NTSB analysed:

Flight 2918 was originally destined for Ontario International Airport (ONT), Ontario California. After a missed approach at ONT, the flight crew elected to divert to SBD due to fuel state and unfavorable wind conditions at ONT. According to the flight crew, the approach into SBD was stabilized at both 1,000 and 500 ft above ground level (agl). The flight crew further stated that during landing on runway 6, the captain began a normal flare at about 100 ft agl, but he felt the airplane “nose come up and sink rate accelerate” at about 15 ft. The captain stated the airplane contacted the runway “slightly more firmly than usual” but it did not bounce.

Once on the runway, the flight crew received an aural windshear warning. Flight data showed the airplane’s pitch attitude reached a maximum of 8.1° at touchdown, sufficient to cause contact between the airplane’s lower fuselage and the runway. Additionally, flight data showed a vertical acceleration of 2.2g, and a windshear warning simultaneous with the touchdown that lasted about 5 seconds. An unscheduled stabilizer trim movement warning occurred immediately after the touchdown. Lastly, an unscheduled stabilizer movement, consistent with the tailstrike event, occurred momentarily about half a second after touchdown. During postlanding rollout, the captain recalled seeing a “tail skid” message on the engine indicating and crew alerting system (EICAS). During postlanding taxi, the first officer was unable to reset the stabilizer trim.

Postlanding inspection by the captain revealed substantial damage to the lower fuselage consistent with its contact with the runway. Further inspection of the airplane found damage to the tail skid shock strut and its support assembly as well as the horizontal stabilizer ballscrew actuator (jackscrew), both as a result of the tailstrike. The tail skid damage was consistent with the tail skid message observed on the EICAS by the flight crew. The flight data showed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would have contributed to the airplane pitch angle when the airplane touched down on the runway.

Metars San Bernardino:
KSBD 100455Z 03010G20KT 10SM CLR 19/M15 A3023
KSBD 100355Z 06013G27KT 020V090 10SM CLR 20/M17 A3020
KSBD 100310Z 29006KT 10SM CLR 19/M18 A3017
KSBD 100155Z 36005KT 10SM CLR 19/M18 A3015
KSBD 100049Z 06010KT 10SM CLR 20/M20 A3012
KSBD 092355Z 32005G21KT 10SM CLR 22/M19 A3009
KSBD 092251Z 35015G25KT 10SM CLR 22/M19 A3010
KSBD 092155Z 35010G21KT 10SM CLR 22/M16 A3010
KSBD 092055Z 36010G22KT 10SM CLR 22/M16 A3012

Metars Ontario:
KONT 100353Z 03027G57KT 10SM VCBLDU CLR 21/M16 A3015 RMK AO2 PK WND 04057/0351 SLP202 T02061156 $=
KONT 100253Z 03022G40KT 10SM VCBLDU CLR 21/M15 A3012 RMK AO2 PK WND 03042/0205 SLP193 T02061150 51025 $=
KONT 100153Z 04017G35KT 10SM VCBLDU CLR 21/M13 A3010 RMK AO2 PK WND 04038/0132 SLP189 FU DSNT W T02061128 $=
KONT 100053Z 02015G27KT 10SM VCBLDU CLR 21/M10 A3008 RMK AO2 PK WND 04043/0003 SLP181 FU DSNT W T02061100 $=
KONT 092353Z 04025G42KT 10SM VCBLDU CLR 22/M06 A3004 RMK AO2 PK WND 06045/2338 SLP168 FU DSNT W T02171056 10228 20206 55003 $=
KONT 092253Z 03022G42KT 10SM VCBLDU CLR 23/M04 A3004 RMK AO2 PK WND 01043/2155 SLP167 FU DSNT W T02281044 $=
Aircraft Registration Data
Registration mark
N324UP
Country of Registration
United States
Date of Registration
KfAklcpn jcbephk Subscribe to unlock
Manufacturer
BOEING
Aircraft Model / Type
767-34AF
Number of Seats
Bkf Subscribe to unlock
ICAO Aircraft Type
B763
Year of Manufacture
Dqln Subscribe to unlock
Serial Number
Lpekd Subscribe to unlock
Aircraft Address / Mode S Code (HEX)
HbhkAb Subscribe to unlock
Engine Count
J Subscribe to unlock
Engine Manufacturer
Mk Subscribe to unlock
Engine Model
GppkAkdldgflm Subscribe to unlock
Engine Type
Hjke qhgk Subscribe to unlock
Pounds of Thrust
Qejle Subscribe to unlock
Main Owner
JqbfgpllmgilhchnkbflAgckg kcdcqki phlcemgg m cf dnhnlqpb bAmmc meeiilclqqfh qfAigbAfhii Subscribe to unlock
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jan 9, 2025

Classification
Accident

Cause
Tail strike on landing

Airline
UPS

Flight number
5X-2918

Departure
Louisville, United States

Destination
Ontario, United States

Aircraft Registration
N324UP

Aircraft Type
Boeing 767-300

ICAO Type Designator
B763

This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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