Boeing 737-301 accident near Dayton, Ohio, March 30, 2011
On March 30, 2011 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Boeing 737-301, registered N360WA, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Dayton, Ohio. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flightcrew's inadequate preflight inspection, resulting in in-flight structural damage to the airplane's fuselage from an unsecured pallet jack that was located in the airplane's empty cargo hold.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2011 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dayton, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-301 · all 737-301s on the register
- Registration
- N360WA · registry record · serial 23553
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The cargo airplane departed on a positioning flight with an unsecured pallet jack in the empty cargo hold. During the flight, the pallet jack moved and damaged a fuselage structural frame. The flightcrew reported that they both looked in the cargo hold prior to the flight, but did not check the security of the pallet jack.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,300 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: February 19, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,700 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: September 2, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 50,924 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 14, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 139,500 lb
- Seats: 149
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm International CFM56-3B2 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm International CFM56-3B2 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northern Air Cargo INC
The flight
- Departed from: KDAY Dayton OH at 11:29 pm
- Destination: KLRD Laredo TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.