A United Boeing 737-900, registration N66831 performing flight UA-2136 (dep Jul 2nd) from Washington Dulles,DC to Las Vegas,NV (USA) with 147 passengers and 7 crew, landed on Las Vegas' runway 26L at 0:22L (07:22Z), however, the tail contacted the runway surface.
On Feb 22nd 2026 the NTSB reported they have rated the occurrence an accident and opened a class 4 investigation. There had been no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage however.
The aircraft remained on the ground in Las Vegas until Aug 21st 2025, then positioned to Victorville,CA (USA) and returned to service on Oct 8th 2025.
On Apr 15th 2026 the NTSB released their final report and investigation docket concluding the probable cause of the accident was:
The first officers failure to maintain proper pitch attitude during flare which resulted in a bounced landing and a tailstrike.
The NTSB analysed:
United Airlines flight 2136 sustained a tail strike while landing at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada. The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from Washington Dulles Airport (IAD), Dulles, Virginia to LAS. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage near the tail.
According to the flight crew, the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying, and the captain was the pilot monitoring when they were cleared to land on runway 26L at LAS. The FO elected to disengage the autopilot and autothrottle at approximately 1,600 feet above ground level (AGL). According to the flightcrew, the airplane was in the landing configuration and during the descent, stabilized approach criteria was met at 1,500 ft., 1,000 ft. and 500 ft. AGL, and the airspeed was close to the correct approach speed.
The captain stated he heard the aircraft aural callouts below 50 feet, and upon hearing 20 he felt no column movement indicative of the start of a flare maneuver, and he stated flare, and he felt the column begin to move, quickly followed by the 10 callout.
Data from the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) showed that about 4 seconds prior to the first touchdown, the control column began to move in the airplane nose up direction, increasing the pitch to 7 degrees as the main gear weight on wheels indicator transitioned to ground. The column was pushed forward several degrees as the air/ground indicator returned to air and the pitch angle reduced to 3.7 degrees. The column was then moved aft in the airplane nose up direction as the weight on wheels transitioned to ground again, and the airplane attained a maximum pitch angle of 8.2 degrees and experienced 2.4g vertical acceleration during the second transition of weight on wheel indicator to ground. Both pilots reported feeling a second touchdown. The captain then took control of the aircraft for the exit from the runway. The airplane exited the runway and taxied uneventfully to the gate.
Post flight inspection revealed damage to the airplane tail skid assembly and substantial damage to lower fuselage primary structure in the aft portion of the aircraft, requiring replacement of several principal structural elements.
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL2136/history/20250703/0305Z/KIAD/KLAS
Metars:
KLAS 030956Z 33007KT 10SM BKN110 BKN180 27/12 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP099 T02720117=
KLAS 030856Z 36006KT 10SM BKN110 28/11 A2991 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT E SLP100 CB DSNT E-S T02830111 53011=
KLAS 030756Z 32004KT 10SM SCT110 28/10 A2988 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT SE AND S SLP094 CB DSNT SE-S AND NW T02830100 403390272=
KLAS 030656Z 11003KT 10SM FEW110 29/10 A2988 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT NW SLP093 CB DSNT NW T02890100=
KLAS 030556Z 06005KT 10SM BKN110 BKN160 29/10 A2987 RMK AO2 SLP088 T02940100 10339 20289 53010=
KLAS 030456Z 02004KT 10SM BKN120 OVC160 29/09 A2985 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT NW SLP083 T02940094=
KLAS 030356Z 35009KT 10SM FEW070 FEW120 SCT160 SCT200 30/10 A2984 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT NW SLP078 T03000100=
KLAS 030256Z 35013KT 10SM FEW070 FEW120 SCT160 SCT200 31/11 A2984 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT W SLP076 CB DSNT NE AND SE-S AND W T03060111 55002=
On Feb 22nd 2026 the NTSB reported they have rated the occurrence an accident and opened a class 4 investigation. There had been no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage however.
The aircraft remained on the ground in Las Vegas until Aug 21st 2025, then positioned to Victorville,CA (USA) and returned to service on Oct 8th 2025.
On Apr 15th 2026 the NTSB released their final report and investigation docket concluding the probable cause of the accident was:
The first officers failure to maintain proper pitch attitude during flare which resulted in a bounced landing and a tailstrike.
The NTSB analysed:
United Airlines flight 2136 sustained a tail strike while landing at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada. The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from Washington Dulles Airport (IAD), Dulles, Virginia to LAS. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage near the tail.
According to the flight crew, the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying, and the captain was the pilot monitoring when they were cleared to land on runway 26L at LAS. The FO elected to disengage the autopilot and autothrottle at approximately 1,600 feet above ground level (AGL). According to the flightcrew, the airplane was in the landing configuration and during the descent, stabilized approach criteria was met at 1,500 ft., 1,000 ft. and 500 ft. AGL, and the airspeed was close to the correct approach speed.
The captain stated he heard the aircraft aural callouts below 50 feet, and upon hearing 20 he felt no column movement indicative of the start of a flare maneuver, and he stated flare, and he felt the column begin to move, quickly followed by the 10 callout.
Data from the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) showed that about 4 seconds prior to the first touchdown, the control column began to move in the airplane nose up direction, increasing the pitch to 7 degrees as the main gear weight on wheels indicator transitioned to ground. The column was pushed forward several degrees as the air/ground indicator returned to air and the pitch angle reduced to 3.7 degrees. The column was then moved aft in the airplane nose up direction as the weight on wheels transitioned to ground again, and the airplane attained a maximum pitch angle of 8.2 degrees and experienced 2.4g vertical acceleration during the second transition of weight on wheel indicator to ground. Both pilots reported feeling a second touchdown. The captain then took control of the aircraft for the exit from the runway. The airplane exited the runway and taxied uneventfully to the gate.
Post flight inspection revealed damage to the airplane tail skid assembly and substantial damage to lower fuselage primary structure in the aft portion of the aircraft, requiring replacement of several principal structural elements.
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL2136/history/20250703/0305Z/KIAD/KLAS
Metars:
KLAS 030956Z 33007KT 10SM BKN110 BKN180 27/12 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP099 T02720117=
KLAS 030856Z 36006KT 10SM BKN110 28/11 A2991 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT E SLP100 CB DSNT E-S T02830111 53011=
KLAS 030756Z 32004KT 10SM SCT110 28/10 A2988 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT SE AND S SLP094 CB DSNT SE-S AND NW T02830100 403390272=
KLAS 030656Z 11003KT 10SM FEW110 29/10 A2988 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT NW SLP093 CB DSNT NW T02890100=
KLAS 030556Z 06005KT 10SM BKN110 BKN160 29/10 A2987 RMK AO2 SLP088 T02940100 10339 20289 53010=
KLAS 030456Z 02004KT 10SM BKN120 OVC160 29/09 A2985 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT NW SLP083 T02940094=
KLAS 030356Z 35009KT 10SM FEW070 FEW120 SCT160 SCT200 30/10 A2984 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT NW SLP078 T03000100=
KLAS 030256Z 35013KT 10SM FEW070 FEW120 SCT160 SCT200 31/11 A2984 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT W SLP076 CB DSNT NE AND SE-S AND W T03060111 55002=
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