- Date
- May 21, 2022, 20:00 local (May 22, 2022, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tacoma, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 66 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N256WNBoeing 737-700
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Cabin safety event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 105307
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
During cruise flight with no reported turbulence a passenger sustained a serious injury for an unknown reason.
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
According to a flight attendant (FA) on Southwest Airlines flight 2046, during cruise flight with no reported turbulence, she and several passengers noticed the forward lavatory was occupied for an unusually long time (10-15 minutes) requiring passengers to use the back lavatory. The FA realized the passenger had unlocked the lavatory door and cracked it open but did not exit. She knocked on the door and asked if everything was okay but there was no response. When the FA attempted to open the door, a female passenger started to exit the lavatory when she began to fall and grabbed on to the FA. The FA immediately requested for the front two passengers to assist her in getting the passenger up and moved to a seat. While assisting the passenger, the FA noticed the passenger’s foot was swollen and piece of bone was sticking through her skin. A volunteer medical professional who was onboard the airplane assisted and positioned the injured passenger in the front galley for landing. Emergency medical personnel met the airplane at the gate and transported the passenger to a local hospital.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N256WN
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-700
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32514
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 52,645
- Engines
- CFM Intl CFM56-7B24, 24,200 lbs thrust, turbo fanCFM Intl CFM56-7B24, 24,200 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Southwest Airlines Co
- Registered owner
- Southwest Airlines Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Commuter
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 15, 2022
- Departed
- KOAK · Oakland, CA
- Destination
- KBLI · Bellingham, WA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Heads up display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 13,900 total · 8,100 in this make and model · 3,960 as pilot in command · 135 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 12,011 total · 93 in this make and model · 5,145 as pilot in command · 93 in the last 90 days · 93 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 3019.00 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 20, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 MB in all.