Boeing 737-2H4 incident near Little Rock, Arkansas, January 19, 1994
On January 19, 1994 at about 3:11 pm local time, a Boeing 737-2H4, registered N53SW, suffered minor damage in an incident near Little Rock, Arkansas (Little Rock Adams Field). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 67 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
WAS THE LANDING GEAR SEPARATION DUE TO AN UNDETERMINED CAUSE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 1994 · about 3:11 pm local time
- Place
- Little Rock, Arkansas · Little Rock Adams Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 67 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-2H4 · all 737-2H4s on the register
- Registration
- N53SW · registry record · serial 21534
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ONE OF TWO LEFT MAIN WHEELS SEPARATED. THE SUBSEQUENT LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE TIRE AND WHEEL REMAINED INTACT. THE AXLE NUT WAS FOUND WITH THE LOCKING RETAINER RING INSTALLED IN THE GROOVE ON THE NUT. EVIDENCE COLLECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED THE RETAINER NUT SPUN OFF OF THE AXLE WITH THE ROTATION OF THE WHEEL. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, 'THIS CONDITION COULD ONLY OCCUR IF THE LOCKING CAPABILITY OF THE RETAINING RING WAS LOST DUE TO THE RETAINING RING NOT FULLY SEATED.' THE MANUFACTURER MEASURED THE THREAD DIMENSIONS OF THE INNER CYLINDER AXLES AND RETAINER NUTS. THREADS ON BOTH AXLES AND RETAINER NUTS WERE BEYOND THE MANUFACTURER'S WEAR LIMITS. ON THE INCIDENT AXLE, THREAD ENGAGEMENT MEASUREMENT (EXCLUDING THE DAMAGED AREA) FOR THE AXLE WAS AT THE MANUFACTURER'S WEAR LIMIT. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, WEAR DID NOT COMPROMISE THE CAPABILITY OF THE NUT AND AXLE. THEIR CROSS SECTION OF THE NUT 'DID NOT EXHIBIT ENOUGH DEFORMATION TO SUPPORT MIGRATION OF THE NUT OFF THE AXLE.'
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,500 hours in all; 13,500 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 16,500 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 51,261 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 115,500 lb
- Seats: 130
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8-9A (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LIT at 3:11 pm
- Destination: DAL Dallas TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22R, 7,173 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from LIT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 62 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N53SW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.