Boeing 737-8H4 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, June 12, 2018
On June 12, 2018 at about 6:44 pm local time, a 2016 Boeing 737-8H4, registered N8693A, was involved in an accident during prior to flight near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Sky Harbor Internation airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 5 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a passenger bumping into a flight attendant who was holding a hot liquid.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2018 · about 6:44 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Sky Harbor Internation · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-8H4 NO SERIES, built 2016 · all 737-8H4s on the register
- Registration
- N8693A · registry record · serial 36921
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On June 12, 2018, at about 1144 MST, Southwest Airlines 2344, Boeing 737-800, N8693A, the "B" position flight attendant was seriously injured when a pot of hot water she was holding splashed on her chest and face after a passenger exiting the lavatory bumped into her during boarding at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (KPHX), Phoenix, Arizona. There were two flight crew, 4 flight attendants, and unknown passengers on board at the time. The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from KPHX to Buffalo Niagara International Airport (KBUF), Buffalo, New York. The injured flight attendant was unable to perform duties and was replaced. The injured flight attendant was transported to the hospital where she was diagnosed with second degree burns and released.
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 prior to flight defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Cabin crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 9,000 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 11,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 28, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 3,723 in this make and model; 136 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 8,000 as pilot in command; 890 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 14, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,714 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, June 7, 2018
- Seats: 185
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm International CFM56-7BE/F (turbofan); 6,794 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm International CFM56-7BE/F (turbofan); 6,794 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines CO
The flight
- Departed from: KPHX Phoenix AZ at 6:15 pm
- Destination: KBUF Buffalo NY
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 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 October 9, 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 | Pilot's Statement | 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.