- Date
- October 5, 2016, 17:25 local (23:25 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 178 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N8324ABoeing 737-8H4
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) not oper: Cabin safety event
- Weather
- Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 6, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 94180
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
the flight attendant losing her balance as she was removing her carry-on baggage resulted in her falling against an arm rest causing the serious injury.
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 October 5, 2016, at about 1725 MDT, Southwest Airlines flight 3663, Boeing B737-800, N8324A, after arrival into Denver International Airport (KDEN), Denver, Colorado, the "B" position flight attendant lost her balance while retrieving her carryon bag from an overhead bin. The flight attendant fell against a seat arm rest near her right rib area. She was examined by paramedics and later escorted to a local hospital for further evaluation. An X-ray identified the flight attendant had sustained a fractured rib. The flight was operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 domestic passenger flight from Salt Lake City International Airport (KSLC) , Salt Lake City, Utah, with 2 pilots, 4 flight attendants and 173 passengers on board. After the event, the injured flight attendant stated they had finished their day in Denver and while retrieving her bag from the overhead bin she stepped back and lost her balance. She thought her foot may have caught on the bar underneath a seat. She fell onto a row of seats making contact with an arm rest. She heard a crack in her rib area and it was difficult to breathe. The "C" flight attendant got help, the crew came back and paramedics were called.
Factual narrative
On October 5, 2016, at about 1725 MDT, Southwest Airlines flight 3663, Boeing B737-800, N8324A, after arrival into Denver International Airport (KDEN), Denver, Colorado, the "B" position flight attendant lost her balance while retrieving her carryon bag from an overhead bin. The flight attendant fell against a seat arm rest near her right rib area. She was examined by paramedics and later escorted to a local hospital for further evaluation. An X-ray identified the flight attendant had sustained a fractured rib. The flight was operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 domestic passenger flight from Salt Lake City International Airport (KSLC) , Salt Lake City, Utah, with 2 pilots, 4 flight attendants and 173 passengers on board. After the event, the injured flight attendant stated they had finished their day in Denver and while retrieving her bag from the overhead bin she stepped back and lost her balance. She thought her foot may have caught on the bar underneath a seat. She fell onto a row of seats making contact with an arm rest. She heard a crack in her rib area and it was difficult to breathe. The "C" flight attendant got help, the crew came back and paramedics were called.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8324A
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-8H4 (8H4)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 35966
- Built
- 2012
- Engines
- CFM Intl CFM56-7B27ECFM Intl CFM56-7B27E
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Southwest Airlines
- Registered owner
- Southwest Airlines Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- KSLT · Salt Lake City, UT
- Destination
- KDEN · Denver, CO
- Airport
- KDEN · Denver International Airport
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.
Weather
- Conditions
- Dusk
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 16, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 MB in all.