On Feb 9th 2026, a JetBlue Airbus A321-200N, registration N2188J, sustained a tailstrike during a balked landing at San Francisco.
Flight B6-2233 from Boston had touched down on runway 28L when, during de-rotation after touchdown, the crew elected to initiate a go-around. As thrust was applied and the aircraft rotated to lift off again, the tail contacted the runway surface.
The aircraft climbed to 5,000 feet, repositioned for another approach, and landed safely on runway 28L approximately 15 minutes after the go-around. The airline confirmed the crew initiated the go-around during landing and that the A321neo sustained a tailstrike. The aircraft was removed from service pending inspection.
As of about 39 hours after landing, the aircraft remained on the ground in San Francisco.
On Feb 20th 2026, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported the aircraft suffered a tailstrike during landing at San Francisco, resulting in minor injuries and substantial damage to the aircraft. The occurrence has been classified as an accident and is under investigation.
Tailstrikes can occur when an aircraft’s pitch attitude becomes excessive during rotation or flare, particularly during go-arounds initiated close to or after touchdown. Investigators will examine flight data, crew actions, and aircraft performance parameters to determine the sequence of events that led to the runway contact.
