Boeing 737 3H4 accident near Baltimore, Maryland, August 5, 2016
On August 5, 2016 at about 1:02 am local time, a 1993 Boeing 737 3H4, registered N368SW, was substantially damaged in an accident during pushback/towing near Baltimore, Maryland (Baltimore/Thurgood Marshall In airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 134 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the tug operators excessive speed during pushback.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2016 · about 1:02 am local time
- Place
- Baltimore, Maryland · Baltimore/Thurgood Marshall In · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 134 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 3H4 3H4, built 1993 · all 737 3H4s on the register
- Registration
- N368SW · registry record · serial 26579
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 4, 2016 at 9:02pm eastern daylight time, Southwest Airlines flight 149, a Boeing 737, N368SW, experienced a failure of the nose landing gear during pushback from the gate at the Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI), Baltimore, Maryland. The aircraft was substantially damaged and there were no injuries to the 6 crewmembers or 129 passengers but the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was being operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight to Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia. According to the flight crew, as the pushback tug was maneuvering the aircraft off the gate, the flight crew felt the front of the airplane bounce up and down, and then came to rest on the nose. The passengers were deplaned via air stairs. The nose gear collapsed in a forward direction, resulting in substantial damage to the gear structure, the nose gear well, and crushing the forward bulkhead. An airport surveillance camera video was obtained, which showed the tug pushing the aircraft at approximately 6 knots. The tug specifications indicate that speed could be achieved only in second gear or higher. The airline general operating manual specifies that pushback must be conducted in low or first gear, and at a walking speed.
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
- Ground handling event during pushback/towing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Towing and taxiing › Towing › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 16,000 in this make and model; 190 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 15,200 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 8, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,800 hours in all; 7,000 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 22, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 72,354 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, July 28, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 138,499 lb
- Seats: 151
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: KBWI Baltimore MD at 1:00 am
- Destination: KATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 129 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on January 25, 2017. 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 | Employee Statements | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pushback Tug Instructions | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Pushback Tug Specs | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Damage Assessment | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photos of Damage | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Video Snapshots | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N368SW 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.