Boeing 737-7H4 accident near Ebro, Florida, June 14, 2025
On June 14, 2025 at about 5:15 pm local time, a 2011 Boeing 737-7H4, registered N969WN, was involved in an accident during initial climb near Ebro, Florida. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 146 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s encounter with convective turbulence during climb while diverting to an alternate airport, resulting in a serious injury to a passenger who disregarded the flight crew’s illuminated seat belt sign and the cabin crew’s instruction to remain seated.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2025 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ebro, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 146 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-7H4, built 2011 · all 737-7H4s on the register
- Registration
- N969WN · registry record · serial 41777
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Southwest Airlines flight 3508 encountered unanticipated moderate turbulence while deviating around convective weather. The flight originated from Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), Dallas, Texas, with a planned destination of Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), Panama City, Florida, and diverted to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), Jacksonville, Florida. Preflight weather planning indicated scattered convective buildups in the Florida panhandle region, typical for that time of year. The crew designated JAX as the diversion airport. The flight departed DAL uneventfully, and en route operations were normal with the seat belt sign off and cabin service underway. As the flight descended toward ECP, the flight crew received updated weather information showing developing convective activity near the airport. Air traffic control (ATC) vectors corresponded with what the crew saw via enroute weather monitoring. Another Southwest Airlines flight ahead of them executed a missed approach at ECP due to heavy precipitation and reduced visibility. The flight crew determined that available fuel on board would not permit multiple missed approaches and a diversion, so they elected to divert to JAX. According to the flight attendants (FAs), the seat belt sign was illuminated, and the flight crew reminded passengers to remain seated. However, a passenger disregarded the seat belt sign and entered the aft lavatory. During the climb to the east, through approximately 5,000 ft mean sea level in instrument meteorological conditions, the airplane encountered a brief period of moderate turbulence lasting 2 to 3 seconds. The autopilot disengaged, and the first officer assumed manual control. The flight crew stabilized the airplane and continued the diversion to JAX. When the airplane encountered turbulence, the passenger was exiting the aft lavatory and was thrown upward, striking the ceiling and the floor. The aft FA reported the passenger lost consciousness briefly before regaining awareness and sitting in the nearest available seat. The aft FA notified the flight crew of the injured passenger, and emergency medical personnel were requested to meet the airplane on arrival. The flight landed uneventfully at JAX. Paramedics met the airplane and transported the injured passenger to a local hospital, where the passenger was diagnosed with multiple fractures to the neck and back and subsequently underwent surgery. No other injuries were reported and there was no damage to the airplane.
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 initial climb 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,045 hours in all; 6,761 in this make and model; 149 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 77 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 17, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
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: 3,621 hours in all; 1,390 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 1,473 as pilot in command; 567 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 25, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 42,829 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 7, 2025
- Seats: 143
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24E (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24E (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines CO
The flight
- Departed from: KDAL Dallas TX
- Destination: KECP Panama City FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 1.3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KECP, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 141 |
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 DCA25LA234.