Boeing 737 N226WN

Summary

On 7 August 2024 at about 18:30 local time, a Boeing 737 registered N226WN, operated by Southwest Airlines Co, was involved in an accident near Severn, Maryland, United States. 143 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 August 2024 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Severn, Maryland, United States

Coordinates

39.1757, -76.6690

Aircraft

Boeing 737

Registration

N226WN

Category

Airplane

Year built

2005

Engines

2

Operator

Southwest Airlines Co

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manchester → Baltimore

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA24LA256

1 person was seriously injured.

A passenger’s failure to comply with crew member instructions to remain seated with seatbelt fastened.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Southwest Airlines Flight 3633 (SWA 3633) encountered turbulence while descending through flight level (FL) 190 to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Baltimore, Maryland. The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT), Manchester, New Hampshire to BWI. The flight crew illuminated the seat belt sign during descent into BWI. A few minutes following the illumination, a passenger stood up and walked to the back of the cabin. The flight attendant told the passenger to return to her seat, and the passenger responded that she would not return to her seat because she needed to stretch. About a minute later, as the aircraft descended through a cloud, the flight encountered short duration moderate turbulence. The standing passenger lost her balance and fell to the floor, breaking her ankle. Two nurses came to assist the passenger on the floor of the galley where they bandaged and splinted her ankle. The nurses returned to their seats for landing. An off-duty flight attendant sat on the floor of the galley with the injured passenger to secure her during landing. EMTs met the flight at the gate and transported the injured passenger from the airplane to a local hospital. The flight crew reported that the there were no reports of turbulence or radar returns that would have indicated turbulence. A post flight review of weather showed no predicted turbulence or evidence of convection near the location and altitude where the encounter occurred.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.