Incident · 2018-12-06
What the record says
- Event date
- 2018-12-06
- Event type
- Incident
- Highest injury level
- No injuries
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 (N752SW)
- Operating rule
- Part 121
- Operator
- SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, CO. Operator named in NTSB report
- Operated by (per NTSB report)
- Southwest Airlines
Probable cause
(1) The flight crewmembers’ decision, due to plan continuation bias, to continue the approach despite indications of windshear and a higher-than-expected tailwind and (2) the flight crew’s misperception of the airplane’s touchdown point, which was farther down the runway than the crew assumed because of the faster-than-expected groundspeed. Contributing to the accident was Southwest Airlines’ lack of guidance to prompt flight crews to reassess operator-provided landing data when arrival weather conditions differ from those used in the original landing data calculation.
Source: NTSB case DCA19IA036Flight crew
Certification and experience as recorded in the NTSB accident database for this event. The NTSB records these facts about the crew's flying history; GroundCheck shows them as filed, without names or identities.
| Role | Certificate | Instrument rating | Age | Medical | Flight hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot pilot flying | Airline transport pilot | Airplane / Helicopter | 58 | Class 1 (2018-08-22) | 15,410 total · 11,350 in this make/model · 4,995 as PIC · 247 last 90 days |
| Co-pilot | Airline transport pilot | Airplane | 53 | Class 1 (2018-10-21) | 10,855 total · 5,000 in this make/model · 4,400 as PIC · 208 last 90 days |
Facts as the NTSB records them — GroundCheck adds no judgement. Preliminary records may be revised as the investigation proceeds.