Boeing 737 7H4 N272WN

Summary

On 13 January 2014 at about 00:10 local time, a Boeing 737 7H4 registered N272WN, operated by Southwest Airlines Co, was involved in an incident near Branson, Missouri, United States. 131 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 January 2014 at 00:10

Classification

Incident

Location

Branson, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

M. Graham Clark Downtown (KPLK)

Coordinates

36.6258, -93.2289

Aircraft

Boeing 737 7H4

Registration

N272WN

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

2

Operator

Southwest Airlines Co

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chicago → Branson

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DCA14IA037

Nobody was injured.

The Flight crew's failure to properly identify the airport and runway of intended landing. Contributing to the incident was the flight crew's failure to comply with procedures for use of navigation information and visual cues to verify the airport and runway of intended landing and the air traffic controller's issuance of erroneous airport geographic information without including the location of proximate airports.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight crew briefed a plan to have radar vectors to the final approach course at Branson Airport and to use the RNAV (GPS) Runway 14 to line up on the final approach. The flight crew programmed the flight management system for the approach and set up the onboard navigation systems accordingly; including the use of distance measuring equipment from another approach navigation aid to provide additional situation awareness. During descent, the flight crew discussed the navigation information displayed, compared it to the lights they could see on the horizon, and confirmed what they believed to be the airport beacon based on that comparison early in the descent. The approach controller cleared the flight direct to the final approach fix depicted on the RNAV approach to the runway of intended landing. While still about 20 miles from the destination airport, the approach controller advised the crew the airport was located at their 11 o'clock position and 15 miles although at the time, that position more closely approximated Downtown Airport. Branson Airport was slightly left at their 10 o'clock position and almost 20 miles. The flight crew called the airport in sight and accepted a visual approach clearance and handoff to Branson control tower. Upon checking in with Branson Tower, the crew was cleared to land on runway 14 at Branson. When the crew identified what they believed to be Branson Airport early in the descent, they did not crosscheck or verify the airport position using onboard navigation after that point. Perceiving they were a little high on the approach into Downtown Airport, they widened the base leg for descent and then descended below approach control radar coverage as they turn onto final approach. Therefore, from the perspective of the approach controller this appeared to be a normal flight path into Branson Airport up to the point when radar contact was lost. Instead, the flight crew lined up on final approach to runway 12 at Downtown Airport and proceeded to land. The captain recognized the error soon after touchdown when he realized the runway was shorter than expected and he applied maximum braking, coming to a stop about 300 feet from the end of the paved surface.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.