DCA21LA210
2021-08-11 · Phoenix, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed
Airport KPHX
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The flight crew’s incorrect pitch attitude during go-around.
Factual narrative
The airplane experienced a tailstrike during a go-around at Phoenix-Sky Harbor International Airport (KPHX). The aircraft was substantially damaged, and there were no injuries. The operator and flight crew reported the flight to KPHX was normal. While on approach the crew noted some virga in the area and a wind shift. The crew reported the touchdown appeared normal and the spoilers began deploying. The pilot flying began to apply thrust reversers, and the crew noted the nose pitch up. The flight crew executed a go-around and returned for an uneventful landing. Post-flight inspection revealed damage to the lower aft fuselage. Maintenance examination revealed damage to the aft pressure bulkhead. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.
- — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Flight crew
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2021_DCA21LA210.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Search this event elsewhere
External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.
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Related research
Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (go-around, maintenance). All research papers
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2026 · Journal article (IJAAA) From Reactive to Predictive: A hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework for Data-Driven Maintenance in Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments
Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains incon…
- Semantic Scholar 2026 · Article (Reliability Engineering & System Safety) Understanding human error in military aviation maintenance: The role of Performance shaping factors, cognitive workload and error orientation
- NASA NTRS 2025 · Conference Paper A Training Study to Improve Monitoring During A Go-Around
As part of an FAA program to improve go-around (GA) safety, we were asked to determine if we could improve the performance of the Pilot Monitoring (PM) during a GA maneuver.
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Applied Sciences) Decision-Making Framework for Aviation Safety in Predictive Maintenance Strategies
The implementation of predictive maintenance (PM) in aviation presents unique challenges due to strict safety requirements, complex operational environments, and regulatory constraints.
- Semantic Scholar 2024 · Article (Defence Science Journal) Modelling of Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance Using HFACS ME Human Factors Analysis and Classification System Maintenance Extension and Bayesian Network
Aircraft maintenance is a complex task involving a skilled human workforce, spare parts, and various other resources. Human factors are an inherent element of the human workforce.
- Flight Safety Foundation 2024 · FSF / AeroSafety World Go-Around Safety Forum Findings
Foundation Go-Around Safety Forum technical findings — examines why pilots fail to execute go-arounds when criteria are met (stabilized approach gate not met, energy state out of envelope, traffic con…