# NTSB DCA22LA151: Boeing 737-700, N480WN, Santa Ana, CA, July 2, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 1, 2022, 17:21 local (Jul 2, 2022, 00:21 UTC) - Place: Santa Ana, CA - Coordinates: 33.675701, -117.86799 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6757&lon=-117.8680&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 141 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 105497 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA22LA151 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105497/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105497 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA22LA151 ## Probable cause A flight attendant received a serious injury for undetermined reasons during a firm landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Impairment/incapacitation: illness/injury](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02012010): Personnel issues › Physical · Cabin crew; cases with it: [Boeing 737-7H4, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02012010/cases.md?model=1384404), [All aircraft, 34 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02012010/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Unknown/Not determined; cases with it: [Boeing 737-7H4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=1384404), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090) (defining event); cases with it: [Boeing 737-7H4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md?model=1384404), [All aircraft, 1,506 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md) ## Analysis A flight attendant was injured when Southwest Airlines Flight 2029 landed at the John Wayne-Orange County Airport (SNA), Santa Ana, California. According to the flight crew, they were flying a visual approach to runway 20R at SNA. They were aiming for the touchdown zone due to its short runway and trying to fly the aircraft onto the runway with minimal floating. However, it ended up being a firm landing. Shortly after exiting the runway, the flight crew were informed that the “B” position flight attendant (FA) seated in the aft jump seat had injured her back on landing and required medical assistance. Data from the operator’s Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) and Aircraft Health Monitoring (AHM) programs indicated the landing did not meet the hard landing criteria set by the airplane’s manufacturer. According to the FA, after securing the galley and cabin for landing, she sat down in her jumpseat, secured her seatbelt harness, and got into the brace position. She indicated that the plane hit the ground with such force that she thought the plane had crashed. She immediately felt pain in her back, neck and she could not move. Paramedics evaluated her and transported her to a local hospital where she was later diagnosed with a compression fracture to her T3 vertebra. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N480WN](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N480WN), registered now, S/N 33998, built 2004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOEING 737-700 - Registry model: [Boeing 737-7H4](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-7h4) (registry code 1384404) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [CFM International CFM56 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/cfm-international-cfm56-series) (registry code 13802, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 33998 - Year built: 2004 - Airframe hours: 60471 - Engines: CFM INTL. CFM56 SERIES turbo fan; CFM INTL. CFM56 SERIES turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Southwest Airlines Co - Registered owner: Southwest Airlines Co - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, June 29, 2022 - Departed: KOAK, Oakland, CA - Destination: KSNA, Santa Ana, CA - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: sna, John Wayne Orange County Airport, runway 20R, 5,700 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Heads up display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 17,500 total, 6,000 in this make and model, 10,500 as pilot in command, 120 in the last 90 days, 60 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 49; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 4,553 total, 174 in this make and model, 1,877 as pilot in command, 174 in the last 90 days, 66 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours - Cabin crew; restraint: 4-point - Cabin crew; injuries: serious; seat: rear; restraint: 4-point - Cabin crew; injuries: none; restraint: 4-point ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 210° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 59 °F - Altimeter: 29.94 inHg - Observed at: KSNA ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 9, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105497. 2.7 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14229100&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Flight and cabin crew statements (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 503 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14230090&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=SWA%202029%20Crew%20Statements_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum of revisions (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 130 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15312096&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memo%20to%20revise%20DCA22LA151_Redacted-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.