Boeing 737-700 accident near Little Rock, Arkansas, April 29, 2005
On April 29, 2005 at about 12:31 pm local time, a Boeing 737-700, registered N727SW, was involved in an accident near Little Rock, Arkansas. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 19 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An encounter with moderate turbulence during cruise flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2005 · about 12:31 pm local time
- Place
- Little Rock, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 19 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-700 · all 737-700s on the register
- Registration
- N727SW · no longer on the register · serial 27859
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight at FL410, the scheduled domestic passenger flight encountered moderate turbulence. The passengers were seated and the fasten seatbelt sign was illuminated. The flight attendants were instructed to take their seats "if it gets bumpy." During the turbulence encounter, a flight attendant was injured by a beverage cart. The flight continued to its intended destination and landed uneventfully.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,500 hours in all; 8,000 in this make and model; 73 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 4,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,260 hours in all; 685 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 1,710 as pilot in command; 590 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 22,350 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 1, 2005; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 154,000 lb
- Seats: 145
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cfm 56-7B24 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines Company
The flight
- Departed from: HOU Houston TX at 11:37 am
- Destination: STL St. Louis MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 4 | ||
| Passengers | 15 |
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.
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.