Probable cause
an inadvertent slip and fall that resulted in a serious injury.
NTSB analysis
On February 3, 2019, about 0110 UTC, United Airlines flight 9, N26909, a Boeing 787-800, was enroute to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, Chengdu, China (ZUUU) over the Gulf of Alaska when a flight attendant slipped and fell and sustained a serious injury. The remaining 13 crew and 207 passengers were not injured. The airplane was not damaged. The regularly scheduled international passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from San Francisco International Airport (KSFO), San Francisco, California.
According to the flight crew, the flight attendant lost her grip on the handrail while climbing the stairs to the crew rest area and fell down the stairs. After arrival the flight attendant went to a medical center and was diagnosed with a broken tibia.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for DCA19CA090 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Feb 3, 2019
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Pacific Ocean, PO
- Highest injury
- Serious
- Serious injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Night
Boeing 787
- N-number
- N26909
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2014
- Operating rule
- Part 121 (airline)
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.