Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Dallas Love Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Dallas, Texas 75235
Friday, May 10, 1996 23:18 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a visual approach to runway 31L, the flightcrew visually observed thunderstorms north of the airport, which were moving south. Also, they noted a display of the thunderstorms on their weather radar system. Light rain was encountered at 200 feet AGL. The rain intensified passing through 100 feet AGL, and the captain switched to 'high wiper.' The captain stated that, at 50 feet AGL, 'the visibility was [further] reduced by heavy rain.' After touchdown, the captain advised the first officer (who was at the controls) for a correction, to which the first officer acknowledged, 'I have full rudder input.' Subsequent to the rudder inputs, the crew 'was able to re-center the aircraft on the runway.' The flight crew of another aircraft holding at the threshold of runway 31L reported that they observed the airplane 'disappear into a wall of water' after touch down. Examination of the airplane revealed the presence of mud on the left main landing gear, wheel well, engine, and engine pylon area. Inspection of the runway revealed evidence that the left main landing gear departed the paved surface for about 700 feet. Also, 6 runway edge lights were damaged on left side of runway 31L.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control and runway alignment, during the landing roll out. Factors relating to the incident were: darkness, the adverse weather condition, the wet runway, and reduced visibility due to the inadvertent encounter with heavy rain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 5/10/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2318 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | DALLAS |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 75235 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | DALLAS LOVE FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DAL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 487 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2252 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DAL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 487 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 50 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5026 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 13 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 226 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N315SW |
| NTSB Number | FTW96IA210 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Boeing |
| Aircraft Model | 737-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 737-300 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23337 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 130000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 142 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2833 SHORECREST DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | DALLAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75235 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | SWAA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SAT |
| Departure City | SAN ANTONIO |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2236 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | DAL |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31L |
| Runway Length | 8800 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |