Boeing 737-8H4 accident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 17, 2019
On June 17, 2019 at about 2:20 pm local time, a 2013 Boeing 737-8H4, registered N8608N, was substantially damaged in an accident during prior to flight near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 180 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a provisioning truck that impacted the airplane resulting in substantial damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2019 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Pittsburgh International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 180 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-8H4 No Series, built 2013 · all 737-8H4s on the register
- Registration
- N8608N · registry record · serial 36638
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On June 17, 2019, about 1020 eastern daylight time, Southwest Airlines flight 157, a Boeing 737-8H4, N8608N, was struck by a provisioning truck while loaded and ready for pushback at Pittsburgh International Airport (KPIT), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There were no injuries to the crew or passengers on board. The airplane received substantial damage. The regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight was operating under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from KPIT to Denver International Airport (KDEN), Denver, Colorado. According to witnesses, the driver of the provisioning truck was unconscious when the truck impacted the airplane. The airplane received substantial damage to the left fuselage and internal structure.
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
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Other loss of consciousness › Ground crew
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: Southwest Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: KPIT Pittsburgh PA at 2:20 pm
- Destination: KDEN Denver CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- 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 | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 174 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on February 25, 2022. 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 |
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.