Boeing 737-8H4 N8655D

Summary

On 7 May 2018 at about 04:08 local time, a Boeing 737-8H4 registered N8655D, operated by Southwest Airlines Co, was involved in an accident near Baltimore, Maryland, United States. 181 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 May 2018 at 04:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Baltimore/Thurgood Marshall In (KBWI)

Coordinates

39.1792, -76.6672

Aircraft

Boeing 737-8H4

Registration

N8655D

Category

Airplane

Year built

2014

Engines

2

Operator

Southwest Airlines Co

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Lauderdale → Baltimore

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

DCA18CA169

Nobody was injured.

The maintenance truck driver's failure to give way to the airplane that resulted in the truck colliding with the taxiing aircraft.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

On May 7, 2018, at approximately 0010 am eastern daylight time, Southwest Airlines flight 6263, a B737-800, N8655D, was struck by a Southwest Airlines maintenance truck as the aircraft was being marshaled into its gate at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (KBWI), Baltimore, Maryland.  There were no injuries to the 181 passengers and crewmembers onboard and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (KFLL), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to KBWI. According to the flight crew, they had cleared the safety zone prior to joining the J-line.  According to ground witnesses, the maintenance vehicle appeared to initially slow down for the airplane, but then appeared to increase its speed to pass in front of the airplane before it could enter the gate. The airplane sustained damage to the left and right nose landing gear doors, nose landing gear trunnion fittings, and to the left-hand forward fuselage skin and stringers. 

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.