- Date
- September 29, 2022, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO · Destination Airport
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 140 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7881ABoeing 737
- Defining event
- Enroute: Turbulence encounter
- 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
- 106083
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
An encounter with clear air turbulence during cruise flight.
Findings · 3
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
Southwest Airlines flight 48 encountered turbulence during cruise. One flight attendant sustained serious injuries. The airplane was not damaged. The regularly scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from the Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Kansas City, Missouri, to the Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado. According to the flight attendant, as she was pouring coffee into cups while in the front galley, the airplane encountered very light turbulence which she described as a ‘very light bump’. During the event, the coffee pot flipped over and spilled coffee onto the back of her hand, resulting in 2nd degree burns. After the event, the captain called back to the cabin to apologize for the turbulence and advised that it was unexpected. The flight attendant continued duties after the event, and there was no further turbulence. Prior to the flight, the captain discussed the possibility of turbulence during the preflight briefing, however the turbulence associated with the event was unannounced and unexpected.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7881A
- Reported as
- Boeing 737 (800)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 35084
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 46,926
- Engines
- CFM Intl CFM56-7B24, 24,200 lbs thrust, turbo fanCFM Intl CFM56-7B24/3, 24,200 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Southwest Airlines
- Registered owner
- Wells Fargo Trust Co Na Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 26, 2022
- Departed
- MCI · Kansas City, MO
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Heads up display, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Data recorder, Auto-pilot
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 15, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 11,440 total · 6,150 as pilot in command · 104 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.