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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2008 · about 11:08 pm local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- Houston, Texas · George Bush Intercontinental · cases near this airport · 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 other cases naming the landing gear
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
8 documents, released by the NTSB on February 10, 2010. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Anti-skid Inoperative Procedures for Continental and Boeing | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1 - FDR Tabular Data | data file | Download |
| 5 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Addendum 1 to Factual Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1 to Addendum 1 | data file | Download |
| 7 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 2 to Addendum 1 | data file | Download |
| 8 | Continental Airlines Safety Results Letter | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
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
- N23661 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 6,679 aircraft on the register
- Engine: General Electric CFM56-3B1 28 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: General Electric CFM56-3B1 28 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport · nearest airport
- Okc Will Rogers International · departed from
- George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,064 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,966 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DFW08IA087.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.