Incident · 2025-03-20
What the record says
- Event date
- 2025-03-20
- Event type
- Incident
- Highest injury level
- No injuries
- Aircraft
- BOEING 737-8H4 (N8315C)
- Operating rule
- Part 121
- Operator
- SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, CO. Operator named in NTSB report
- Operated by (per NTSB report)
- SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO
Probable cause
The captain’s failure to recognize that the airplane’s location did not agree with the assigned departure runway as required per the Southwest Airlines Airplane Operating Manual, and the captain’s plan continuation error when he missed several cues that would have informed him that he was not on the assigned departure runway when he initiated takeoff.
Source: NTSB case DCA25LA163Flight 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 / Commercial | Airplane | 58 | Class 1 (2024-11-11) | 21,100 total · 6,000 in this make/model · 18,450 as PIC · 177 last 90 days |
| Co-pilot | Airline transport pilot / Commercial | Airplane | 53 | Class 1 (2024-10-16) | 11,000 total · 4,200 in this make/model · 3,396 as PIC · 144 last 90 days |
Facts as the NTSB records them — GroundCheck adds no judgement. Preliminary records may be revised as the investigation proceeds.