Boeing 737 7H4 accident near Los Angeles, California, November 19, 2017
On November 19, 2017 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1998 Boeing 737 7H4, registered N740SW, was involved in an accident during prior to flight near Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The provisioning agent's lack of situational awareness while stepping from the airplane to the provisioning van. Contributing to the accident was the provisioning vans failed switch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 2017 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 7H4 7H4, built 1998 · all 737 7H4s on the register
- Registration
- N740SW · no longer on the register · serial 29276
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On November 11, 2017, about 1230 Pacific standard time, Southwest Airlines flight 1159, a Boeing 737-700, N740SW, had a provisioning agent fall from the airplane while parked at Gate 13 at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX), Los Angeles, California . The flight was deplaning and onboard were the captain, first officer, three flight attendants, several passengers, and the provisioning agent. The regularly scheduled passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from San Francisco International Airport (KSFO), San Francisco, California, to KLAX. According to the operator, the provisioning vans platform/box assembly malfunctioned and lowered about 2-3 feet. As the provisioning agent was moving from the airplane to the platform he lost situational awareness and fell onto the lowered platform, injuring his shoulder. The agent was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with a fractured right shoulder. The van was removed from service and the left side tape switch was found to have dislodged from its track, resulting in the uncommanded lowering of the platform.
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 prior to flight defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground equipment › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Ground crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,243 hours in all; 8,500 in this make and model; 207 in the last 90 days; 78 in the last 30 days; 8,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 28, 2017
- 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: 4,179 hours in all; 1,082 in this make and model; 260 in the last 90 days; 101 in the last 30 days; 3,553 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 27, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 154,500 lb
- 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: SFO San Francisco CA at 6:50 pm
- Destination: LAX Los Angeles CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:53 pm from LAX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 21, 2018. 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, 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.