Boeing 737-700 accident near Santa Ana, California, July 2, 2022
On July 2, 2022, a 2004 Boeing 737-700, registered N480WN, was involved in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Santa Ana, California (John Wayne Orange County Airpo airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 141 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A flight attendant received a serious injury for undetermined reasons during a firm landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2022
- Place
- Santa Ana, California · John Wayne Orange County Airpo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 141 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-700, built 2004 · all 737-700s on the register
- Registration
- N480WN · registry record · serial 33998
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A flight attendant was injured when Southwest Airlines Flight 2029 landed at the John Wayne-Orange County Airport (SNA), Santa Ana, California. According to the flight crew, they were flying a visual approach to runway 20R at SNA. They were aiming for the touchdown zone due to its short runway and trying to fly the aircraft onto the runway with minimal floating. However, it ended up being a firm landing. Shortly after exiting the runway, the flight crew were informed that the “B” position flight attendant (FA) seated in the aft jump seat had injured her back on landing and required medical assistance. Data from the operator’s Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) and Aircraft Health Monitoring (AHM) programs indicated the landing did not meet the hard landing criteria set by the airplane’s manufacturer. According to the FA, after securing the galley and cabin for landing, she sat down in her jumpseat, secured her seatbelt harness, and got into the brace position. She indicated that the plane hit the ground with such force that she thought the plane had crashed. She immediately felt pain in her back, neck and she could not move. Paramedics evaluated her and transported her to a local hospital where she was later diagnosed with a compression fracture to her T3 vertebra.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illness/injury › Cabin crew
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,500 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 10,500 as pilot in command; 250 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,553 hours in all; 174 in this make and model; 174 in the last 90 days; 66 in the last 30 days; 1,877 as pilot in command; 1,135 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
Cabin Crew
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
Cabin Crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 60,471 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 29, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 155,000 lb
- Seats: 151
- 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 CO
The flight
- Departed from: KOAK Oakland CA
- Destination: KSNA Santa Ana CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 20R, 5,700 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KSNA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 4 | ||
| Passengers | 137 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 9, 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 |
| 2 | Flight and Cabin Crew Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Revisions | 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.