Boeing 737 3H4 accident near Pound Ridge, New York, October 9, 2015
On October 9, 2015 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1994 Boeing 737 3H4, registered N383SW, was involved in an accident during enroute near Pound Ridge, New York. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 147 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
hot water spilled from a cup onto the flight attendant's arm resulting in a 2nd degree burn.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2015 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pound Ridge, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 147 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 3H4 3H4, built 1994 · all 737 3H4s on the register
- Registration
- N383SW · no longer on the register · serial 26589
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As a flight attendant (FA) was moving from the galley to the cabin to serve a tray of drinks, a cup of hot water fell off the tray and spilled onto her arm resulting in 2nd degree burns to her forearm and bicep, measuring about 1 inch by 2 inches, and separation of skin. The crew reported the flight encountered some light turbulence enroute but it was not determined if any was encountered at the time of the event.
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
- Cabin safety event during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Cabin crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,055 hours in all; 18,400 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 19,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 30, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 165 in the last 90 days; 82 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 19, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 138,499 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines CO
The flight
- Departed from: MHT Manchester NH at 8:25 pm
- Destination: BWI Baltimore MD
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 2 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 143 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 8, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flight Crew Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.