# Accident 19960708019899A: Boeing 7372H4, Nashville, TN, July 8, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 8, 1996, 07:43 local time
- Place: Nashville, TN
- Airport: Nashville International Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: To Aborted (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: SWAA
- Location: 36.1594° N, 86.6710° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.1594&lon=-86.6710&mi=10
- Aircraft: N53SW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N53SW-1999-04-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 737-2H4 (registry code 138448C, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-2h4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 7372H4
- People aboard: 122
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,700 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL96FA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL96FA101) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960708019899A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: ON JULY 8, 1996, SOUTHWEST 436, A B-737-2H4 (N53SW) ABORTED TAKEOFF ON RW20C AT NASHVILLE, TN (BNA), AFTER INGESTING A BIRD IN THE LEFT ENGINE AT NEAR V SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 750 FEET BEYOND THE END PREPARED SURFACE AND DOWN AN INCLINE BEFORE COMING TO A STOP UPRIGHT AND UNDAMAGED EXCEPT FOR DEFLATED TIRES ON THE MAIN GEAR. SINCE THERE WAS NO FIRE THE CAPTAIN ELECTED TO NOT EXECUTE AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION AND INSTEAD REQUESTED STEPS HE BROUGHT TO DEPLANE THE PASSENGERS. HOWEVER, WHILE AWAITING THE STEPS, A FIRE ERUPTED IN BOTH MAIN GEAR AND AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION WAS COMPLETED RESULTING IN ONE SERIOUS INJURY (A BROKEN LEG). THE EVACUATION WAS INITIATED BY THE LEAD FLIGHT ATTENDANT WHEN THE FIRE AND RESCUE UNITS REPORTED THE FIRE AND PROCEEDED TO APPLY AGENT (FOAM) TO SUPPRESS THE FLAMES. L-1, L-2, AND R-1 WERE USED. INITIALLY L-1 WAS THE MOST USED EXIT. NEITHER OVERWING EXIT WAS OPENED AND R-2 CHUTE WAS NOT DEPLOYED. ALTHOUGH R-1 WAS USED SUCCESSFULLY, THE CHUTE HAD DEFLATED WITHIN THE 30 MINUTES REQUIRED FOR ME TO ARRIVE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THERE WAS NOT A FLIGHT ATTENDANT STATIONED AT R-2 ACCOUNTING FOR THAT SLIDE NOT BEING DEPLOYED. THE DOOR WAS OPENED AND ONE REPORT (NOT CONFIRMED) INDICATED THAT ONE OR TWO PASSENGERS JUMPED FROM THAT EXIT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ATL96FA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL96FA101), Jul 8, 1996: Boeing 737-200 (N53SW), Nashville, TN, minor damage. Probable cause: the captain's improper rejected takeoff, in that the takeoff was rejected after V1, and the flight attendants' improper use of the evacuation procedure, in that an evacuation was independently…

## Other reports on N53SW (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19980731027409I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980731027409I), Jul 31, 1998: Boeing 7372H4 (N53SW), Albuquerque, NM, Minor damage. On departure from abq, a southwest airline B737-flight 803 had the number 1 tire on the left main landing gear fail. Debris caused damage to the number 1…
- [Incident 19780810049379I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780810049379I), Aug 10, 1978: Boeing 737/ (N53SW), Dallas, TX, Minor damage. Takeoff aborted when #3 tire blew. Flap damaged.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.