- Date
- May 7, 2018, 00:08 local (04:08 UTC)
- Place
- Baltimore, MD
- Injuries
- 181 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N8655DBoeing 737-8H4
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Lead agency
- Other
- FAA report
- 20180507013309A
- Case key
- 97175
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 maintenance truck driver's failure to give way to the airplane that resulted in the truck colliding with the taxiing aircraft.
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 May 7, 2018, at approximately 0010 am eastern daylight time, Southwest Airlines flight 6263, a B737-800, N8655D, was struck by a Southwest Airlines maintenance truck as the aircraft was being marshaled into its gate at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (KBWI), Baltimore, Maryland. There were no injuries to the 181 passengers and crewmembers onboard and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (KFLL), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to KBWI. According to the flight crew, they had cleared the safety zone prior to joining the J-line. According to ground witnesses, the maintenance vehicle appeared to initially slow down for the airplane, but then appeared to increase its speed to pass in front of the airplane before it could enter the gate. The airplane sustained damage to the left and right nose landing gear doors, nose landing gear trunnion fittings, and to the left-hand forward fuselage skin and stringers.
Factual narrative
On May 7, 2018, at approximately 0010 am eastern daylight time, Southwest Airlines flight 6263, a B737-800, N8655D, was struck by a Southwest Airlines maintenance truck as the aircraft was being marshaled into its gate at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (KBWI), Baltimore, Maryland. There were no injuries to the 179 passengers and crewmembers onboard and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (KFLL), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to KBWI. According to the flight crew, they had cleared the safety zone prior to joining the J-line. According to ground witnesses, the maintenance vehicle appeared to initially slow down for the airplane, but then appeared to increase its speed to pass in front of the airplane before it could enter the gate. The airplane sustained damage to the left and right nose landing gear doors, nose landing gear trunnion fittings, and to the left-hand forward fuselage skin and stringers.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8655D
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-8H4 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 42529
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 12,466
- Engines
- CFM International CFM56-7BE/F, 27,000 lbs thrust, turbo fanCFM International CFM56-7BE/F, 27,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Southwest Airlines Co
- Registered owner
- Southwest Airlines Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 6, 2018
- Departed
- KFLL · Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Destination
- KBWI · Baltimore, MD
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KBWI · Baltimore/Thurgood Marshall In
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Heads up display, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B
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 · 6
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- 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
- April 20, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 8,232 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 2, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 367 in this make and model
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Rear
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Role
- Cabin crew
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 16 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KBWI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 13, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.