Lambert-St. Louis Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

St. Louis, Missouri 63145
Wednesday, September 8, 1993 17:40 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The airplane was on final approach when the tower controller requested a go-around for traffic separation. The flight crew executed the go-around. The first officer, who was flying the airplane remarked the airplane was not flying right. Cabin attendants reported a problem with the left flaps. An off-duty captain riding in the cockpit investigated and reported the left outboard foreflap was broken and hanging loose. The Captain took control and made an uneventful landing. Examination of the failed flap assembly found that the nuts were missing on the two aft bolts which hold the inboard sequencing carriage to the foreflap attach lug, and the two forward bolts were fractured.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

a failure of the left outboard foreflap due to the loss of the bolts that hold the inboard sequencing carriage to the foreflap attach lug.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 9/8/1993
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1740
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City ST. LOUIS
Event State MISSOURI
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 63145
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport LAMBERT-ST. LOUIS INTL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID STL
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 605
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1652 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID STL
Elevation of weather observation facility 605
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 6500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
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 144
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5048
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 9 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1600
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:38PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N350SW
NTSB Number CHI93IA354
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 24409
Certified Max Gross Weight 125000
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 139
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Nov 9 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 2832
Airframe Hours 13579
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2832 SHORECREST DR.
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 MCI
Departure City KANSAS CITY
Departure State MO
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 12R
Runway Length 9003
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --