AIRBUS A320-232
Hayden, CO — January 22, 2022
Event Information
| Date | January 22, 2022 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | DCA22LA069 |
| Event ID | 20220124104551 |
| Location | Hayden, CO |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 40.28870, -107.13060 |
| Airport | Yampa Valley International Air |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | AIRBUS |
| Model | A320-232 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 121 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 108 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The captain’s rotation of the airplane pitch before the rotation speed on takeoff due to his surprise about encountering head on landing traffic, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s pitch limit and a subsequent tail strike.
Contributing to the accident was the flight crew’s expectation bias that the incoming aircraft was landing on the same runway as they were departing from, and the conflicting traffic’s nonstandard use of phraseology when making position calls on the common traffic advisory frequency.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.