Boeing 737-524 incident near Houston, Texas, March 27, 2008
On March 27, 2008 at about 11:08 pm local time, a Boeing 737-524, registered N23661, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near Houston, Texas (George Bush Intercontinental airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 118 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's improper landing technique for an inoperative anti-skid system resulting in locked brakes and four blown main landing gear tires.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2008 · about 11:08 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · George Bush Intercontinental · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 118 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-524 · all 737-524s on the register
- Registration
- N23661 · registry record · serial 28922
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight crew departed for the destination airport knowing that the anti-skid system was inoperative. While in flight the flight crew briefed the operational procedures for landing with an inpoerative anti-skid system, including manual deployment of the speed brakes and thrust reversers before using minimal braking during the landing to avoid tire blowout. During the landing the flight crew encountered four blown main landing gear tires, resulting in minor damage to the airplane. An examination of the wheels, tires, and brakes revealed no anomalies. Further examination of the airplane and its systems revealed no anomalies aside from the inoperative anti-skid system. The flight data recorder data depicted no deployment of the speed brakes, no use of the thrust reversers, and an increase in brake pressure at the same time weight was transferred to the nose gear, consistent with brake application upon landing.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Flight crew
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Anti › skid section › Inoperative
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,016 hours in all; 6,801 in this make and model; 195 in the last 90 days; 86 in the last 30 days; 3,340 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 3, 2008
- 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: 5,160 hours in all; 1,133 in this make and model; 227 in the last 90 days; 98 in the last 30 days; 2,723 as pilot in command; 1,615 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 21, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25,824 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 21, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 133,500 lb
- Seats: 122
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CFM56-3B1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CFM56-3B1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Continental Airlines Inc
The flight
- Departed from: OKC Oklahoma City OK at 9:56 pm
- Destination: IAH Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26R, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 170° at 16 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from IAH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 113 |
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.