Boeing 737-3G7 accident near Kansas City, Missouri, August 25, 2001
On August 25, 2001 at about 6:11 am local time, a Boeing 737-3G7, registered N306AW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kansas City, Missouri (Kansas City International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 58 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The second in command failed to maintain proper runway alignment, directional control, and landed long. The pilot in command failed to execute a go-around and failed to provide adequate supervision. Additional factors included the thunderstorm, the dark night, the muddy terrain, and the FODed engines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2001 · about 6:11 am local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri · Kansas City International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 58 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-3G7 · all 737-3G7s on the register
- Registration
- N306AW · no longer on the register · serial 24633
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The transport airplane sustained substantial damage during landing when it veered off the left side of runway 27 at 0111 cst and both engines sustained foreign object damage (FOD). Level 4 and 5 thunderstorms were in the vicinity of the airport at the time of the accident. The ASOS rain gauge on the airport indicated 0.42 inches of rain fell between 0100 and 0111. The wind was from the northwest at less than 10 knots, and no significant low-level windshear was present at the time of the accident. The first officer was the flying pilot. The Flight Data Recorder data indicated the airplane was on a stabilized instrument approach with the autopilot engaged until about 200 feet above ground level (agl), when the autopilot was disconnected and the airplane was flown manually. After the autopilot disconnect, the airplane began drifting left and above glide slope. The airplane crossed the runway threshold at about 57 feet agl, offset about 65 feet left of centerline, but the ground track was being corrected back toward centerline. A flare was initiated about 600 feet past the runway threshold and about 35 feet agl. During the flare, the ground track achieved the centerline, but deviated back to the left before main gear touchdown, which occurred about 3,200 feet past the runway threshold. At touchdown, the left main gear was about 56 feet left of centerline with an airplane ground track of about 5 degrees to the left. Within 2 seconds of touchdown (about 300 feet of travel), the left main gear crossed the white runway edge strip, and within 5 seconds of touchdown (about 1,000 feet of travel), the left main gear departed the paved surface. A nearly full right rudder input was made at about 3,450 feet from the runway threshold after main gear touchdown. The airplane departed the runway surface before the ground track altered back to the right. The company's Operations Manual states, "Control Glidepath so that touchdown occurs on the 1000 foot point (Fixed Distance Marker)...If an unsatisfactory approach is likely to result in a long landing, GO AROUND and make a second approach."
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,425 hours in all; 172 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 16, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,740 hours in all; 238 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 25, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 37,875 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 22, 2001; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 138,500 lb
- Seats: 159
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cfm International CFM 56-3B2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ at 3:25 am
- Destination: MCI Kansas City MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 9,500 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 030° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft; a few clouds at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 6:13 am from MCI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 53 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N306AW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.