Boeing 737-79P and Boeing 767-32LF incident near Austin, Texas, February 4, 2023
On February 4, 2023 at about 12:40 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 737-79P (N7827A) and Boeing 767-32LF (N297FE), were involved in the same incident near Austin, Texas (Austin-Bergstrom International airport). No one was hurt; 131 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the local controller’s incorrect assumption that the Southwest Airlines (SWA) airplane would depart from the runway before the Federal Express airplane arrived on the same runway, which resulted in a loss of separation between both airplanes. Contributing to the controller’s incorrect assumption were his expectation bias regarding the SWA airplane’s departure, his lack of situational awareness regarding the SWA airplane’s position when the flight crew requested takeoff clearance, and the air traffic control tower’s lack of training (before the incident) on low visibility operations. Contributing to the incident was the SWA flight crewmembers’ failure to account for the traffic that was on short final approach and to notify the controller that they would need additional time on the runway before the takeoff roll. Also contributing to the incident was the Federal Aviation Administration’s failure to require surface detection equipment at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and direct alerting for flight crews.
the local controller’s incorrect assumption that the Southwest Airlines (SWA) airplane would depart from the runway before the Federal Express airplane arrived on the same runway, which resulted in a loss of separation between both airplanes. Contributing to the controller’s incorrect assumption were his expectation bias regarding the SWA airplane’s departure, his lack of situational awareness regarding the SWA airplane’s position when the flight crew requested takeoff clearance, and the air traffic control tower’s lack of training (before the incident) on low visibility operations. Contributing to the incident was the SWA flight crewmembers’ failure to account for the traffic that was on short final approach and to notify the controller that they would need additional time on the runway before the takeoff roll. Also contributing to the incident was the Federal Aviation Administration’s failure to require surface detection equipment at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and direct alerting for flight crews.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 4, 2023 · about 12:40 pm local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Austin, Texas · Austin-Bergstrom International · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 131 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 737-79P, built 2003 · all 737-79Ps on the register
- Registration
- N7827A · registry record · serial 28255
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing 767-32LF, built 2012 · all 767-32LFs on the register
- Registration
- N297FE · registry record · serial 41068
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 737-79P final · quoted from the NTSB record
On February 4, 2023, about 0640 central standard time, Southwest Airlines (SWA) flight 708, a Boeing 737-700, N7827A, and Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) flight 1432, a Boeing 767-300, N297FE, were involved in a runway incursion at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin, Texas. The flight crew of the FedEx airplane, which was arriving on runway 18L, executed a missed approach as the SWA airplane was departing from the same runway. The 128 occupants aboard the SWA airplane and the 3 occupants aboard the FedEx airplane were not injured, and neither airplane sustained damage. SWA flight 708 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 from AUS to Cancún International Airport (CUN), Cancún, Mexico. FedEx flight 1432 was a domestic cargo flight operating under Part 121 from Memphis International Airport (MEM), Memphis, Tennessee, to AUS. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 767-32LF final · quoted from the NTSB record
On February 4, 2023, about 0640 central standard time, Southwest Airlines (SWA) flight 708, a Boeing 737-700, N7827A, and Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) flight 1432, a Boeing 767-300, N297FE, were involved in a runway incursion at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin, Texas. The flight crew of the FedEx airplane, which was arriving on runway 18L, executed a missed approach as the SWA airplane was departing from the same runway. The 128 occupants aboard the SWA airplane and the 3 occupants aboard the FedEx airplane were not injured, and neither airplane sustained damage. SWA flight 708 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 from AUS to Cancún International Airport (CUN), Cancún, Mexico. FedEx flight 1432 was a domestic cargo flight operating under Part 121 from Memphis International Airport (MEM), Memphis, Tennessee, to AUS. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident.
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 for the Boeing 737-79P from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Runway incursion veh/AC/person during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Expectation/assumption › ATC personnel
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › ATC personnel
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › Recurrent training › ATC
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Lack of communication › Flight crew
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Enforcement › Equipment requirements › FAA/Regulator
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Flight crew
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Indicating/recording systems › Data recorders (flight/maint) › Design other cases naming the instruments and avionics
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 20,600 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 17,200 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 7, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,907 hours in all; 4,893 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days; 79 in the last 30 days; 2,515 as pilot in command; 1,280 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 21, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 56,774 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 29, 2023
- 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
- Destination: MMEX Cancun OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18L, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.43 inHg
- Observation at 6:18 am from AUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 123 |
The factual record for the Boeing 767-32LF from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation during approach (IFR missed approach) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Expectation/assumption › ATC personnel
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › ATC personnel
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › Recurrent training › ATC
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot of other aircraft
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Lack of communication › Pilot of other aircraft
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Enforcement › Equipment requirements › FAA/Regulator
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Flight time: 23,500 hours in all; 16,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 465 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 292
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Ge CF6-80C2B6F (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Ge CF6-80C2B6F (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Federal Express CORP
The flight
- Departed from: KMEM Memphis TN
- Flight plan: IFR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
42 documents, released by the NTSB on November 29, 2023. 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.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
Aircraft
- N7827A on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Boeing 737 2,896 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Boeing 6,677 aircraft on the register
- N297FE on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Boeing 767 584 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Boeing 6,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24 171 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24 171 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
Place
- Austin-Bergstrom International · nearest airport
- Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,063 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,976 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DCA23FA149.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.