- Date
- November 19, 2017, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Los Angeles, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 5 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Prior to flight
- Aircraft
- N740SWBoeing 737 7H4
- Defining event
- Prior to flight: Ground handling event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 96582
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 provisioning agent's lack of situational awareness while stepping from the airplane to the provisioning van. Contributing to the accident was the provisioning vans failed switch.
Findings · 2
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 November 11, 2017, about 1230 Pacific standard time, Southwest Airlines flight 1159, a Boeing 737-700, N740SW, had a provisioning agent fall from the airplane while parked at Gate 13 at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX), Los Angeles, California . The flight was deplaning and onboard were the captain, first officer, three flight attendants, several passengers, and the provisioning agent. The regularly scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from San Francisco International Airport (KSFO), San Francisco, California, to KLAX. According to the operator, the provisioning vans platform/box assembly malfunctioned and lowered about 2-3 feet. As the provisioning agent was moving from the airplane to the platform he lost situational awareness and fell onto the lowered platform, injuring his shoulder. The agent was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with a fractured right shoulder. The van was removed from service and the left side tape switch was found to have dislodged from its track, resulting in the uncommanded lowering of the platform.
Factual narrative
On November 11, 2017, about 1230 Pacific standard time, Southwest Airlines flight 1159, a Boeing 737-700, N740SW, had a provisioning agent fall from the airplane while parked at Gate 13 at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX), Los Angeles, California . The flight was deplaning and onboard were the captain, first officer, three flight attendants, several passengers, and the provisioning agent. The regularly scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from San Francisco International Airport (KSFO), San Francisco, California, to KLAX. According to the operator, the provisioning vans platform/box assembly malfunctioned and lowered about 2-3 feet. As the provisioning agent was moving from the airplane to the platform he lost situational awareness and fell onto the lowered platform, injuring his shoulder. The agent was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with a fractured right shoulder. The van was removed from service and the left side tape switch was found to have dislodged from its track, resulting in the uncommanded lowering of the platform.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N740SW
- Reported as
- Boeing 737 7H4 (7H4)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 29276
- Built
- 1998
- Engines
- CFM Intl. CFM56 SERIES, turbo fanCFM Intl. CFM56 SERIES, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Southwest Airlines
- Registered owner
- Southwest Airlines Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- SFO · San Francisco, CA
- Destination
- LAX · Los Angeles, CA
- Airport
- LAX · Los Angeles International
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 28, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 15,243 total · 8,500 in this make and model · 8,500 as pilot in command · 207 in the last 90 days · 78 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 27, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,179 total · 1,082 in this make and model · 3,553 as pilot in command · 260 in the last 90 days · 101 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Observed at
- LAX
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.