Boeing 737-300 incident near Dallas, Texas, May 11, 1996
On May 11, 1996 at about 4:18 am local time, a Boeing 737-300, registered N315SW, suffered minor damage in an incident near Dallas, Texas (Dallas Love Field). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 50 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control and runway alignment, during the landing roll out. Factors relating to the incident were: darkness, the adverse weather condition, the wet runway, and reduced visibility due to the inadvertent encounter with heavy rain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 1996 · about 4:18 am local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · Dallas Love Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 50 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-300 · all 737-300s on the register
- Registration
- N315SW · no longer on the register · serial 23337
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a visual approach to runway 31L, the flightcrew visually observed thunderstorms north of the airport, which were moving south. Also, they noted a display of the thunderstorms on their weather radar system. Light rain was encountered at 200 feet AGL. The rain intensified passing through 100 feet AGL, and the captain switched to 'high wiper.' The captain stated that, at 50 feet AGL, 'the visibility was [further] reduced by heavy rain.' After touchdown, the captain advised the first officer (who was at the controls) for a correction, to which the first officer acknowledged, 'I have full rudder input.' Subsequent to the rudder inputs, the crew 'was able to re-center the aircraft on the runway.' The flight crew of another aircraft holding at the threshold of runway 31L reported that they observed the airplane 'disappear into a wall of water' after touch down. Examination of the airplane revealed the presence of mud on the left main landing gear, wheel well, engine, and engine pylon area. Inspection of the runway revealed evidence that the left main landing gear departed the paved surface for about 700 feet. Also, 6 runway edge lights were damaged on left side of runway 31L.
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: 12,000 hours in all; 7,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 130,000 lb
- Seats: 142
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CFM56 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAT San Antonio TX at 3:36 am
- Destination: DAL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31L, 8,800 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,500 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:52 am from DAL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 45 |
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.