Boeing 737 N7734H

Summary

On 19 August 2024 at about 19:45 local time, a Boeing 737 registered N7734H, operated by Southwest Airlines Co, was involved in an accident near Highland Meadows, New Mexico, United States. 93 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

19 August 2024 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Highland Meadows, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

34.9000, -107.1500

Aircraft

Boeing 737

Registration

N7734H

Category

Airplane

Year built

2006

Engines

2

Operator

Southwest Airlines Co

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Los Angeles → Albuquerque

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA24LA290

1 person was seriously injured.

An encounter with convectively induced turbulence during descent.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

On August 19, 2024, at 1345 mountain daylight time, Southwest Airlines flight 1768 encountered turbulence during descent into Albuquerque International Airport (ABQ), Albuquerque, New Mexico. The flight was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Los Angeles, California to ABQ. As a result of the turbulence, one flight attendant sustained serious injuries. The flight crew reported that the enroute weather was visual meteorological conditions, mostly clear skies, with occasional light chop turbulence. They had been monitoring their electronic flight bag applications for turbulence forecasts, one of which predicted an area of moderate turbulence about 80 miles prior to the top of descent. The captain asked the cabin crew to sit down for about 10 minutes as they transited that area, during which the turbulence was also occasional light chop. During the descent, at an altitude of about 12,000 ft, the aircraft experienced what the captain described as 2-3 seconds of moderate turbulence as the airplane flew through a cirrus cloud. The first officer recalled that it was the only cloud in the vicinity and described the turbulence (as they flew through it) as “light chop”. After landing, the C flight attendant told the captain that during the turbulence, both of her feet left the floor momentarily, and that she landed awkwardly on her feet. The cabin crew left the airplane for their overnight. Shortly after, the B flight attendant returned to the airplane and told the flight deck crew that flight attendant C was having difficulty walking. She was later diagnosed with a fractured left tibia. A post-accident review of weather records revealed that a convective significant meteorological information (SIGMET) was in effect for an area surrounding the accident, warning of either existing or expected thunderstorms. Convective SIGMETS imply the possibility of severe or greater turbulence. There were no airman’s meteorological information (AIRMETS) in effect for the accident area, and no pilot reports (PIREPS) reporting any turbulence within 150 miles of the accident location. Satellite imagery near the time of the accident showed areas of cumulous clouds to the west and southwest of ABQ, in the area of the accident. The convective conditions and presence of cumulous clouds near the accident were consistent with convectively induced turbulence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.