Boeing 737 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, September 11, 2018
On September 11, 2018 at about 4:00 am local time, a 2014 Boeing 737, registered N950NN, was involved in an accident during approach near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an inadvertent encounter with wake turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2018 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 823, built 2014 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- N950NN · registry record · serial 31194
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 10, 2018, at 9:00 pm Mountain Standard Time (MST), American Airlines flight 2197, a Boeing 737-800, N950NN, encountered wake turbulence while descending through 3,100 feet on approach to the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (KPHX), Phoenix, Arizona. A flight attendant was securing items in the galley and was seriously injured as a result of the turbulence. There were no injuries to the other passengers or crew, and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA), Seattle, Washington, to KPHX. According to the flight crew, the seat belt sign was on, and the "prepare for landing" announcement was made to the flight attendants. The airplane was approximately three miles behind a narrow body Airbus, in landing configuration when the turbulence occurred. After landing, the flight crew were notified that one of the flight attendants had been injured. Paramedics met the flight at the gate and the flight attendant was transported to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a broken left rib.
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
- Aircraft wake turb encounter during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Effect on personnel
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,425 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, August 28, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 174,200 lb
- Seats: 169
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24E; 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24E; 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SEA Seattle WA at 1:48 am
- Destination: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 11,489 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:51 am from KPHX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | |||
| Flig | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DCA18CA289.