Cessna 208B and Boeing 737-7H4 incident near Phoenix, Arizona, March 20, 2010
On March 20, 2010 at about 1:28 am local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 208B (N992FE) and Boeing 737-7H4 (N742SW), were involved in the same incident near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Sky Harbor airport). The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The Cessna 208 pilot’s failure to identify the correct landing runway.
The Cessna 208 pilot’s failure to identify the correct landing runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2010 · about 1:28 am local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Sky Harbor · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 208B · all 208Bs on the register
- Registration
- N992FE · registry record · serial 208B0128
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing 737-7H4 · all 737-7H4s on the register
- Registration
- N742SW · no longer on the register · serial 29278
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 208B final · quoted from the NTSB record
While holding in position after being issued a takeoff clearance, the Boeing 737 captain noticed the Cessna 208 overflying his position and landing in front of him on runway 25R. The Cessna pilot was given clearance to land on runway 25L but instead landed on runway 25R, missing the 737 by about 50 feet. The pilot of the Cessna 208 noted having difficulty seeing the runway due to the setting sun beyond the departure end of runway 25R. Furthermore, he did not state whether or not he was able to make visual contact on final approach with the Boeing 737 that was holding in position in front of him on the runway.
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 Boeing 737-7H4 final · quoted from the NTSB record
While holding in position after being issued a takeoff clearance, the Boeing 737 captain noticed the Cessna 208 overflying his position and landing in front of him on runway 25R. The Cessna pilot was given clearance to land on runway 25L but instead landed on runway 25R, missing the 737 by about 50 feet. The pilot of the Cessna 208 noted having difficulty seeing the runway due to the setting sun beyond the departure end of runway 25R. Furthermore, he did not state whether or not he was able to make visual contact on final approach with the Boeing 737 that was holding in position in front of him on the runway.
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 Cessna 208B from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Abrupt maneuver during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
The aircraft
- Seats: 12
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A SERIES (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLG Flagstaff AZ
- Destination: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25R
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
The factual record for the Boeing 737-7H4 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Attempted remediation/recovery during taxi (into takeoff position)
- Airport occurrence during taxi (into takeoff position) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot of other aircraft
The aircraft
- Seats: 140
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines
The flight
- Runway 25R
- A second pilot was aboard
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 OPS10IA015.