- Date
- March 27, 2019, 19:25 local (Mar 28, 2019, 00:25 UTC)
- Place
- Nashville, TN
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N249WNBoeing 737
- Defining event
- Approach: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report August 23, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- FAA report
- 20190327000659A
- Case key
- 99199
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
a collision with a bird.
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 March 27, 2019 at 7:25pm central daylight time (EDT), a Boeing 737-700, N249WN, operated by Southwest Airlines as flight 975 struck a bird with the left horizontal stabilizer while descending through 2,500 feet on approach to the Berry-Nashville International Airport (KBNA), Nashville, Tennessee. The airplane landed at KBNA with no further incident. There were no injuries and the airplane was substantial damaged. The regularly scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 121 from the Pittsburgh International Airport (KPIT), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to KBNA. Damage to the airplane included a 12 inch crack in the forward spar, requiring replacement of the horizontal stabilizer. Bird residue was sent to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History laboratory, and identified as a Great Blue Heron.
Factual narrative
On March 27, 2019 at 7:25pm central daylight time (EDT), a Boeing 737-700, N249WN, operated by Southwest Airlines as flight 975 struck a bird with the left horizontal stabilizer while descending through 2,500 feet on approach to the Berry-Nashville International Airport (KBNA), Nashville, Tennessee. The airplane landed at KBNA with no further incident. There were no injuries and the airplane was substantial damaged. The regularly scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 121 from the Pittsburgh International Airport (KPIT), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to KBNA. Damage to the airplane included a 12 inch crack in the forward spar, requiring replacement of the horizontal stabilizer. Bird residue was sent to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History laboratory, and identified as a Great Blue Heron.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N249WN
- Reported as
- Boeing 737 (7H4)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34951
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 44,455
- Engines
- Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24, 10,142 horsepower, turbo fanCfm Intl CFM56-7B24, 10,142 horsepower, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Southwest Airlines
- Registered owner
- Southwest Airlines Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- February 19, 2019
- Departed
- KPIT · Pittsburgh, PA
- Destination
- KBNA · Nashville, TN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KBNA · Nashville International Airpor
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Heads up display, Stall warning system, Data recorder, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 16, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 23,718 total · 15,630 in this make and model · 14,771 as pilot in command · 154 in the last 90 days · 62 in the last 30 days · 2.5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 18, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 4,988 total · 1,317 in this make and model · 1,128 as pilot in command · 161 in the last 90 days · 61 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KBNA, 10 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 26, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.