Boeing 737-7H4 incident near Phoenix, Arizona, May 10, 2013
On May 10, 2013 at about 4:07 pm local time, a 2008 Boeing 737-7H4, registered N913WN, suffered minor damage in an incident during pushback/tow (engine start-up) near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Sky Harbor Int'L airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 59 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the tug operator and wing walker to adequately monitor the environment during pushback of the airplane from the gate in preparation for flight, which led to the collision of the airplane with an adjacently parked airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2013 · about 4:07 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Sky Harbor Int'L · map
- Type
- Incident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 59 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-7H4, built 2008 · all 737-7H4s on the register
- Registration
- N913WN · registry record · serial 29840
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While being pushed back from the gate by a tug in preparation for flight, the airplane collided with an airplane parked to its right. The pushback into an adjacent alleyway required the tug operator to accomplish a turn reversal to properly align the airplane. Further, the tug operator and wing walker slowed down the tug's speed during the turn to ensure that they avoided baggage carts located near the right engine. The turn was performed too tightly, and, when the tug operator's and wing walker's attention was focused on clearing the nearby carts, the airplane's right winglet struck the parked, unoccupied airplane's left horizontal stabilizer and elevator.
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
- Ground collision during pushback/tow (engine start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Ground crew
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Ground crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,500 hours in all; 9,500 in this make and model; 11,300 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 26, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, military, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 4,500 in this make and model; 2,000 as pilot in command; 1,550 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 12, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,245 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 4, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 155,000 lb
- Seats: 151
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24 (turbofan); 17,245 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl CFM56-7B24 (turbofan); 17,245 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines CO
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ at 4:07 pm
- Destination: RNO Reno/Tahoe Intl NV
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from PHX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 54 |
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 N913WN the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 WPR13IA226.