Boeing 737-3A4 and Cessna 401 accident near Dallas, Texas, July 28, 1995
On July 28, 1995 at about 12:37 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 737-3A4 (N675AA) and Cessna 401 (N31DB), were involved in the same accident near Dallas, Texas (Love Field). No one was hurt; 99 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE FLIGHTCREWS OF THE BOEING 737, N675AA, AND THE CESSNA 401, N31DB, TO SEE AND AVOID EACH OTHER. FACTORS WERE: THE FAILURE OF 737 FLIGHTCREW TO RESPOND TO THE TRAFFIC ADVISORY GIVEN BY THE GROUND CONTROLLER IDENTIFYING POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING TRAFFIC, AND THE FAILURE OF THE GROUND CONTROLLER TO ISSUE SEQUENCING INSTRUCTIONS TO BOTH AIRCRAFT.
FAILURE OF THE FLIGHTCREWS OF THE BOEING 737, N675AA, AND THE CESSNA 401, N31DB, TO SEE AND AVOID EACH OTHER. FACTORS WERE: THE FAILURE OF 737 FLIGHTCREW TO RESPOND TO THE TRAFFIC ADVISORY GIVEN BY THE GROUND CONTROLLER IDENTIFYING POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING TRAFFIC, AND THE FAILURE OF THE GROUND CONTROLLER TO ISSUE SEQUENCING INSTRUCTIONS TO BOTH AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1995 · about 12:37 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · Love Field · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 99 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 737-3A4 · all 737-3A4s on the register
- Registration
- N675AA · registry record · serial 23253
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 401 · all 401s on the register
- Registration
- N31DB · no longer on the register · serial 401-0202
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 737-3A4 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CESSNA 401, N31DB, HAD BEEN CLEARED TO TAXI FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 13L, AND REPORTED HAVING THE BOEING 737, N675AA, IN SIGHT. AFTER TURNING NORTHWEST ONTO TAXIWAY BRAVO, THE CESSNA CAPTAIN LOST SIGHT OF THE 737. THE CESSNA FIRST OFFICER WAS OCCUPIED WITH DUTIES INSIDE THE COCKPIT AND DID NOT SEE THE 737 UNTIL IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE COLLISION. AFTER LANDING ON RUNWAY 13L, THE 737 EXITED THE RUNWAY, RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED CLEARANCE TO TAXI TO THE GATE, BUT DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIVING THE TRAFFIC ADVISORY CONCERNING THE CESSNA TO HIS LEFT. THE 737 PROCEEDED TO TAXI NORTHWEST ON TAXIWAY MIKE. THE COLLISION OCCURRED AS THE 737 MERGED FROM MIKE ONTO BRAVO. THE 737 CREW STATED THEY NEVER SAW THE CESSNA. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANES TAXIING PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER WITH THE 737 SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE CESSNA AND GRADUALLY CONVERGING UNTIL THE LEFT WING OF THE 737 IMPACTED THE RUDDER OF THE CESSNA. ALTHOUGH THE GROUND CONTROLLER 'ANTICIPATED' THAT THE 737 WOULD FOLLOW THE CESSNA, HE DID NOT ISSUE SPECIFIC SEQUENCING INSTRUCTIONS TO ENSURE THAT THIS TOOK PLACE.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 401 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CESSNA 401, N31DB, HAD BEEN CLEARED TO TAXI FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 13L, AND REPORTED HAVING THE BOEING 737, N675AA, IN SIGHT. AFTER TURNING NORTHWEST ONTO TAXIWAY BRAVO, THE CESSNA CAPTAIN LOST SIGHT OF THE 737. THE CESSNA FIRST OFFICER WAS OCCUPIED WITH DUTIES INSIDE THE COCKPIT AND DID NOT SEE THE 737 UNTIL IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE COLLISION. AFTER LANDING ON RUNWAY 13L, THE 737 EXITED THE RUNWAY, RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED CLEARANCE TO TAXI TO THE GATE, BUT DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIVING THE TRAFFIC ADVISORY CONCERNING THE CESSNA TO HIS LEFT. THE 737 PROCEEDED TO TAXI NORTHWEST ON TAXIWAY MIKE. THE COLLISION OCCURRED AS THE 737 MERGED FROM MIKE ONTO BRAVO. THE 737 CREW STATED THEY NEVER SAW THE CESSNA. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANES TAXIING PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER WITH THE 737 SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE CESSNA AND GRADUALLY CONVERGING UNTIL THE LEFT WING OF THE 737 IMPACTED THE RUDDER OF THE CESSNA. ALTHOUGH THE GROUND CONTROLLER 'ANTICIPATED' THAT THE 737 WOULD FOLLOW THE CESSNA, HE DID NOT ISSUE SPECIFIC SEQUENCING INSTRUCTIONS TO ENSURE THAT THIS TOOK PLACE.
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 for the Boeing 737-3A4 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 14,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 18,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 29,223 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 130,000 lb
- Seats: 145
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cfm CFM56-3 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines CO.
The flight
- Departed from: AMA Amarillo TX at 11:40 am
- Destination: DAL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13L, 7,753 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:45 pm from DAL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 92 |
The factual record for the Cessna 401 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,588 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 1,044 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,172 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 23, 1995; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DAL
- Destination: TYR Tyler TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13L, 7,753 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW95FA319.