Boeing 737-7H4 accident near Hacienda Heights, California, February 14, 2025
On February 14, 2025, a 2009 Boeing 737-7H4, registered N939WN, was involved in an accident during enroute (descent) near Hacienda Heights, California. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 119 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
The airplane’s encounter with moderate turbulence during descent, which resulted in serious injury to a flight attendant.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 2025
- Place
- Hacienda Heights, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 119 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-7H4, built 2009 · all 737-7H4s on the register
- Registration
- N939WN · registry record · serial 36646
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On February 13, 2025, Southwest Airlines flight 3338, operating from Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK), Oakland, California, to San Diego International Airport (SAN), San Diego, California, encountered turbulence during descent. One flight attendant (FA) sustained a serious injury. Prior to departure, the flight crew reviewed weather data via the Weather Services International (WSI) and SkyPath applications and noted the possibility of turbulence during climb-out and descent. Flight attendants were briefed to remain seated until further notice. During climb and cruise, the aircraft experienced “light chop.” After the turbulence cleared, the flight crew permitted flight attendants to begin service. The seatbelt sign was subsequently turned off for passengers, and the remainder of the cruise segment was uneventful. According to the flight crew, they continued to monitor the weather and noted no “moderate turbulence plots” along the route, though they did observe occasional “light turbulence plots.” At FL300, prior to descent, the captain reactivated the seatbelt sign and advised passengers to be seated. Shortly thereafter, while descending through scattered clouds between FL300 and FL250, the airplane encountered moderate turbulence. The captain then instructed the FAs to take their seats. According to the FAs, although the flight crew had illuminated the seatbelt sign and briefed passengers via the PA about the impending turbulence, no separate advisory was provided to the cabin crew before the turbulence event. When the turbulence subsided, the flight crew checked on the FAs via the interphone and was informed that one FA had been seriously injured. The captain subsequently requested medical personnel and a manager to meet the flight upon arrival.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,561 hours in all; 6,452 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 11,561 as pilot in command; 2,426 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 14, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 1,800 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 11, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 51,251 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 7, 2025
- Seats: 143
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24/3 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24/3 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines CO
The flight
- Departed from: OAK Oakland CA at 11:08 pm
- Destination: SAN San Diego CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 12 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 3:46 pm from KSAN
Weather report (METAR): WSI Turbulence Sigmet 04156 issued 14/0003z MDT (4) Intensity Valid 14/0003z to 14/0300z ALT FL290 to FL370 Detail TYPE TURB Normal ID 04156 VALID 140003Z-140300Z INTST MDT ALT FL290-FL370 MVT ESE 30KT OUTLK NC DISC TURB ASSOC WITH HORIZONTAL WIND SHEAR OVER SOUTHERN CA AREA 65ENE MOD - 55E BLH - 135SE MZB - 85ENE AUDIA - 65ENE MOD -
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 2 | ||
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 115 |
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 DCA25LA126.