Boeing 737-8H4 accident near Sioux City, Iowa, September 25, 2017
On September 25, 2017 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 2014 Boeing 737-8H4, registered N500WR, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Sioux City, Iowa. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 172 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flight attendant accidentally pouring hot water on his hand which resulted 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
- September 25, 2017 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sioux City, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 172 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-8H4 8H4, built 2014 · all 737-8H4s on the register
- Registration
- N500WR · registry record · serial 36898
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 25, 2017, at about 1600 CDT, Southwest Airlines flight 1813, B737-800, N500WR, was enroute to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Los Angeles, California, when the "A" position flight attendant accidentally poured hot water onto his hand. The injured flight attendant was able to complete duties but was pulled from his trip upon landing. After returning home, the flight attendant visited a doctor who diagnosed him with second degree burns. There were 6 crew and 167 passengers onboard and the flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), Chicago, Illinois, to LAX.
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 (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Cabin crew
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,886 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, September 28, 2017
- Seats: 185
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm International CFM56-7BE/F (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm International CFM56-7BE/F (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: MDW Chicago IL
- Destination: LAX Los Angeles CA
- 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 | 3 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 167 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 14, 2020. 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 |
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.