- Date
- December 12, 2014, 20:30 local (Dec 13, 2014, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Baltimore, MD
- Injuries
- 145 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7710ABoeing 737
- Defining event
- Approach: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 90507
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
an inadvertent encounter with birds during approach to land that resulted in substantial damage.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
On December 12, 2014, about 2030 eastern standard time, Southwest Airlines flight 3118, a Boeing 737-76N, registration N7710A, encountered multiple bird strikes while on approach to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Baltimore, Maryland. None of the passengers or crew members were injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 121 as a domestic passenger flight and originated from San Antonio International Airport, San Antonio, Texas. The captain stated that while descending through about 2,500 feet on approach to land the airplane struck multiple birds. Inspection of the airplane after landing reveled substantial damage to the 178 forward pressure bulkhead and left wing fixed leading edge main rib.
Factual narrative
On December 12, 2014, about 2030 eastern standard time, Southwest Airlines flight 3118, a Boeing 737-76N, registration N7710A, encountered multiple bird strikes while on approach to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Baltimore, Maryland. None of the passengers or crew members were injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 121 as a domestic passenger flight and originated from San Antonio International Airport, San Antonio, Texas. The captain stated that while descending through about 2,500 feet on approach to land the airplane struck multiple birds. Inspection of the airplane after landing reveled substantial damage to the 178 forward pressure bulkhead and left wing fixed leading edge main rib.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7710A
- Reported as
- Boeing 737 (76N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32656
- Built
- 2005
- Engines
- CFM CFM56-7B, 22,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanCFM CFM56-7B, 22,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Southwest Airlines, Co.
- Registered owner
- AFS Investments 56 LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- SAT · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- BWI · Baltimore, MD
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BWI · Baltimore Washington Internati
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 13,974 total · 9,000 in this make and model · 6,800 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 5, 2014
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 14,070 total · 1,166 in this make and model · 5,222 as pilot in command · 128 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- BWI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 3, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 640 KB in all.