Boeing 737-7H4 accident near Orlando, Florida, July 5, 2020
On July 5, 2020 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 2006 Boeing 737-7H4, registered N254WN, was involved in an accident during enroute (descent) near Orlando, Florida. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An encounter with moderate turbulence during descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2020 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-7H4, built 2006 · all 737-7H4s on the register
- Registration
- N254WN · registry record · serial 32512
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A flight attendant, who was standing in the aft galley while securing the cabin, was injured when the flight encountered turbulence during descent. According to the flight crew, there was a significant area of weather over the Florida peninsula, so they directed the flight attendants to secure the cabin early and take their seats for the remainder of the flight. While they were securing the cabin, the flight encountered an area of moderate convective turbulence lasting about 30 seconds. When the turbulence was encountered, the “B” position flight attendant was seriously injured after being thrown down and striking the aft galley floor hard. The captain was not told of any injuries at the time of the event. The flight attendant was later diagnosed with a compression fracture of the L1 vertebra spine along with other back injuries including disc herniation and cervical, thoracic, and lumbar sprain.
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
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 91 hours in all; 91 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 8, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,861 hours in all; 2,436 in this make and model; 236 in the last 90 days; 66 in the last 30 days; 2,776 as pilot in command; 147 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: minor injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 48,136 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 1, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 155,000 lb
- Seats: 151
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines CO
The flight
- Departed from: MKJS Montego Bay OF at 6:37 pm
- Destination: KMCO Orlando FL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N254WN the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DCA22LA001.