On Jul 3rd 2025, a United Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration N66831, sustained substantial damage after its tail contacted the runway during landing in Las Vegas.
Flight UA-2136, which had departed Washington Dulles on Jul 2nd with 147 passengers and 7 crew on board, touched down on runway 26L in Las Vegas at 00:22 local time (07:22Z). During the landing sequence, the aircraft’s tail struck the runway surface.
There were no reported injuries among passengers or crew. However, the aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of the tailstrike.
On Feb 22nd 2026, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced it had classified the occurrence as an accident and opened a Class 4 investigation.
Following the event, the aircraft remained grounded in Las Vegas until Aug 21st 2025, when it was ferried to Victorville, California, for further work. After repairs and inspections were completed, the jet returned to service on Oct 8th 2025.
Tailstrikes typically occur when an aircraft’s pitch attitude becomes excessive during landing flare or rotation, causing the rear fuselage to contact the runway. While often survivable events, they can result in significant structural damage and lengthy repair periods, as evidenced by the aircraft’s extended time out of service.
