Boeing 737-7H4 accident near Oakland, California, December 2, 2011
On December 2, 2011 at about 3:53 am local time, a Boeing 737-7H4, registered N261WN, was involved in an accident during enroute near Oakland, California (Oakland International Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 97 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew’s flight into known severe turbulence associated with mountain wave activity.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 2011 · about 3:53 am local time
- Place
- Oakland, California · Oakland International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 97 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-7H4 · all 737-7H4s on the register
- Registration
- N261WN · registry record · serial 32517
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was transitioning through an area of known severe turbulence. One of the flight attendants reported that the flight crew asked the cabin crew to secure the cabin early as they expected to encounter turbulence during the descent. Shortly thereafter, the airplane encountered severe turbulence and the flight attendants were thrown about the galley; one sustained a serious injury. The cockpit voice recorder contained audio that was not relevant to the flight (it was likely recorded over by subsequent events), thus it could not be conclusively determined when the flight crew asked the flight attendants to be seated because they could not recall. It is likely that the flight crew’s request for the cabin to be secured was close to the time of the turbulence encounter, since none of the flight attendants had completed securing the service items when the encounter occurred. Synoptic conditions were favorable for mountain wave activity and a significant meteorological information (SIGMET) advisory and airmen’s meteorological information advisories had been issued for turbulence over the region. The flight crew also had an advisory issued from their enhanced weather information systems for severe turbulence. The event occurred in the region that the SIGMET and the advisory for severe turbulence had been issued. According to the filed flight plan, the flight was to descend before entering the advisory area for weather avoidance; however, the planned descent was not followed.
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
- Turbulence encounter during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Clear air turbulence › Effect on personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,210 hours in all; 15,710 in this make and model; 194 in the last 90 days; 63 in the last 30 days; 13,275 as pilot in command; 250 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 15, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,391 hours in all; 4,785 in this make and model; 123 in the last 90 days; 95 in the last 30 days; 2,450 as pilot in command; 930 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 30, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,350 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 30, 2011; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 154,500 lb
- Seats: 145
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines CO
The flight
- Departed from: ABQ Albuquerque NM at 2:19 am
- Destination: OAK Oakland CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 am from MMH, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 2 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 95 |
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.