# NTSB CHI04LA126: Boeing 737-300, N662SW, St. Louis, MO, April 10, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 10, 2004, 18:35 local (23:35 UTC) - Place: St. Louis, MO - Coordinates: 38.747776, -90.36 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7478&lon=-90.3600&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 108 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 31, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA- St Louis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 59466 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI04LA126 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/59466/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04LA126 ## Probable cause The inadvertent encounter with turbulence which resulted in the injury to the flight attendant. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - weather condition - turbulence (contributing factor) - flight into adverse weather - inadvertent, flightcrew (cause) ## Analysis The commercial airline flight encountered turbulence which resulted in a serious injury to a flight attendant. According to a report from the operator, the turbulence was due to a storm front along the route of flight. The airplane was not damaged. The airplane had been deviating in an attempt to minimize the turbulence encountered. In a written report, the pilot stated that while en route the airplane was in turbulence. He stated that the seat belt sign was on and as the turbulence began to intensify he made a public address announcement for the flight attendants to be seated. He stated that he was then informed that one of the flight attendants had been injured. A written report from the flight attendants indicated that the fasten seat belt sign was not on at the time of the injury. ## Factual narrative On April 10, 2004, about 1835 central daylight time, a Boeing 737-300, N662SW, operated by Southwest Airlines as flight 2038, encountered turbulence while en route to the St. Louis International Airport, St. Louis, Missouri. During the turbulence encounter, a cabin attendant received serious injuries. No injuries to the passengers or other crew members were reported. No damage to the airplane was reported. The 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled domestic passenger flight was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The weather conditions at the time of the occurrence have not been established. The flight originated from the William P. Hobby Airport, Houston, Texas, at 1753 According to a written report filed by the operator, the airplane was in "rough air" due to a storm front along the route of flight. The airplane had deviated around storm cells and had also varied altitude in an attempt to minimize the turbulence encountered. The operator stated that the seat belt sign was on and that an announcement was made for the flight attendants to take their seats. The operator stated that after a brief encounter with moderate turbulence near Little Rock, Arkansas, the flight crew was informed that a flight attendant had injured her shoulder. The report does not state whether the injury happened before, or after the announcement was made to the flight attendants. Upon arrival at the destination, the flight attendant walked off of the airplane and into the gate area for treatment. It was later found that the flight attendant had fractured her shoulder. In a written report, the pilot stated that while en route the airplane was in turbulence. He stated that the seat belt sign was on and as the turbulence began to intensify he made a public address announcement for the flight attendants to be seated. He stated that he was then informed that one of the flight attendants had been injured. A written report from the flight attendants indicated that the fasten seat belt sign was not on at the time of the injury. The National Transportation Safety Board was not informed of the extent of the injury received by the flight attendant until May 13, 2004. No cockpit or flight data recordings were obtained. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N662SW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N662SW-2014-11-03), registration cancelled 2014-11-03, S/N 23255, built 1985 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Boeing 737-300 - Registry model: [Boeing 737-3Q8](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-3q8) (registry code 138447V) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [GE CFM56 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-cfm56-series) (registry code 30016, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 23255 - Airframe hours: 58979 - Engines: General Electric CFM-56 20000 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Southwest Airlines Co - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, April 1, 2004, 25 hours before - Departed: HOU, HOUSTON, TX - Destination: STL, St. Louis, MO - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review December 1, 2003; seat: left; flight hours: 20,000 total, 18,000 in this make and model, 18,000 as pilot in command, 184 in the last 90 days, 41 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 39; injuries: none; flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: right ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 80° at 20 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 48 °F - Altimeter: 30.07 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20040410030069A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040410030069A), Apr 10, 2004: Boeing 7373Q8, St Louis, MO. (-23) On April 10, 2004, at approx. 1835 CDT, southwest 2038, a Boeing 737 (N662SW), encountered turbulence while enroute to the st. Louis international… 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. --- 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.