Narrative:
Southwest Airlines flight 345, a Boeing 737-700, suffered a nose gear collapse during a hard landing on runway 4 at New York-LaGuardia Airport (LGA), USA. Of the 144 passengers and 5 crewmembers on board, 8 sustained minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged.
The flight had departed from Nashville International Airport (BNA), Tennessee, about 14:33 central daylight time. The first officer was the pilot flying (PF) for the trip to LGA, and a pilot from another airline occupied the cockpit jumpseat. The en route part of the flight was uneventful.
As the airplane was on final approach, the captain, who was the pilot monitoring (PM), realized that the flaps were not configured as had been briefed, with a setting of 40 degrees for the landing.
The captain set the flaps to 40 degrees as the airplane was descending through about 500 ft altitude, which was about 51 seconds from touchdown. When the airplane was between 100 to 200 ft altitude, it was above the glideslope. Concerned that the airplane was too high, the captain exclaimed repeatedly "get down" to the first officer about 9 seconds from touchdown. About 3 seconds from touchdown when the airplane was about 27 ft altitude, the captain announced "I got it," indicating that she was taking control of the airplane, and the first officer replied, "ok, you got it."
After the captain took control, the control column was relaxed to a neutral position and the throttles were not advanced until about 1 second before touchdown. The airplane touched down at a descent rate of 960 ft per minute and a nose-down pitch attitude of -3.1 degrees, resulting in the nose gear contacting the runway first and a hard landing. The airplane came to a stop on the right side of the runway centerline about 2,500 ft from its initial touchdown.
The operator's stabilized approach criteria require an immediate go-around if the airplane flaps or landing gear were not in the final landing configuration by 1,000 ft above the touchdown zone; in this case, the flaps were not correctly configured until the airplane was passing through 500 ft. Further, the airplane's deviation about the glideslope at 100 to 200 ft would have been another opportunity for the captain, as the PM at this point during the flight, to call for a go-around, as indicated in the Southwest Airlines Flight Operations Manual (FOM).
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The captain's attempt to recover from an unstabilized approach by transferring airplane control at low altitude instead of performing a go-around. Contributing to the accident was the captain's failure to comply with standard operating procedures."
Runway mishap
» Jet bound for scrap (Times Union, 29-1-2014)
» SKYbrary
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
Flight Data Recorder (FDR) graph
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 22 July 2013 |
| Time: | 17:44 |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-7H4 (WL) |
| Operator: | Southwest Airlines |
| Registration: | N753SW |
| MSN: | 29848/400 |
| First flight: | 1999-10-06 (13 years 10 months) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 49536 |
| Engines: | 2 CFMI CFM56-7B22 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 145 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 150 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | New York-La Guardia Airport, NY (LGA) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Landing (LDG) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Nashville International Airport, TN (BNA/KBNA), United States of America |
| New York-La Guardia Airport, NY (LGA/KLGA), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | WN345 |
Southwest Airlines flight 345, a Boeing 737-700, suffered a nose gear collapse during a hard landing on runway 4 at New York-LaGuardia Airport (LGA), USA. Of the 144 passengers and 5 crewmembers on board, 8 sustained minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged.
The flight had departed from Nashville International Airport (BNA), Tennessee, about 14:33 central daylight time. The first officer was the pilot flying (PF) for the trip to LGA, and a pilot from another airline occupied the cockpit jumpseat. The en route part of the flight was uneventful.
As the airplane was on final approach, the captain, who was the pilot monitoring (PM), realized that the flaps were not configured as had been briefed, with a setting of 40 degrees for the landing.
The captain set the flaps to 40 degrees as the airplane was descending through about 500 ft altitude, which was about 51 seconds from touchdown. When the airplane was between 100 to 200 ft altitude, it was above the glideslope. Concerned that the airplane was too high, the captain exclaimed repeatedly "get down" to the first officer about 9 seconds from touchdown. About 3 seconds from touchdown when the airplane was about 27 ft altitude, the captain announced "I got it," indicating that she was taking control of the airplane, and the first officer replied, "ok, you got it."
After the captain took control, the control column was relaxed to a neutral position and the throttles were not advanced until about 1 second before touchdown. The airplane touched down at a descent rate of 960 ft per minute and a nose-down pitch attitude of -3.1 degrees, resulting in the nose gear contacting the runway first and a hard landing. The airplane came to a stop on the right side of the runway centerline about 2,500 ft from its initial touchdown.
The operator's stabilized approach criteria require an immediate go-around if the airplane flaps or landing gear were not in the final landing configuration by 1,000 ft above the touchdown zone; in this case, the flaps were not correctly configured until the airplane was passing through 500 ft. Further, the airplane's deviation about the glideslope at 100 to 200 ft would have been another opportunity for the captain, as the PM at this point during the flight, to call for a go-around, as indicated in the Southwest Airlines Flight Operations Manual (FOM).
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The captain's attempt to recover from an unstabilized approach by transferring airplane control at low altitude instead of performing a go-around. Contributing to the accident was the captain's failure to comply with standard operating procedures."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Landing after unstabilized approachRunway mishap
Sources:
» NTSB» Jet bound for scrap (Times Union, 29-1-2014)
» SKYbrary
Photos
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
Flight Data Recorder (FDR) graph
accident date: 22-07-2013
type: Boeing 737-7H4 (WL)
registration: N753SW
Video, social media
NTSB investigating accident involving nose-gear collapse of SWA 737 at LGA. Photo after evacuation. pic.twitter.com/vSqIMBNosc
— NTSB (@NTSB) July 23, 2013
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Nashville International Airport, TN to New York-La Guardia Airport, NY as the crow flies is 1219 km (762 miles).
Distance from Nashville International Airport, TN to New York-La Guardia Airport, NY as the crow flies is 1219 km (762 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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