Incidents and Accidents
America West had four in-flight incidents on its aircraft, but never had an accident resulting in a fatality. Two accidents resulted in hull loss write-offs.
| Flight | Date | Aircraft | Location | Descriptions | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| America West Flight 450 | December 30, 1989 | 737-200 | Tucson, Arizona | A fire in the wheel well burned through hydraulic cabling. During landing, braking was ineffective and the aircraft overran the end of the runway. After colliding with a concrete structure, the plane came to a stop. The aircraft was written off. NTSB brief | 10 minor |
| America West Flight 727 | January 16, 1990 | 737-300 | Austin, Texas | On January 16, 1990, America West flight 727 was hijacked en route to Las Vegas from Houston. The hijacker forced the pilot to land the aircraft in Austin, Texas, so it could be refueled and flown to Cuba. At the Austin airport, police overpowered and arrested the hijacker. | none |
| America West Flight 556 | July 1, 2002 | A319-100 | Miami, Florida | The flight was halted by Transportation Security Administration and local police after a tip that the pilots appeared to be drunk. Sobriety tests showed that the pilots were legally intoxicated, and they were eventually sentenced to prison for operating an aircraft while intoxicated. | none |
| America West Flight 794 | August 28, 2002 | A320-231 | Phoenix, Arizona | The pilot failed to maintain directional control during landing, causing the aircraft to veer off the side of the runway onto a dirt infield, and the nose gear strut collapsed. The aircraft was written off. NTSB brief | 1 serious, 9 minor |
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)