Boeing 737 7H4 accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, August 14, 2014
On August 14, 2014 at about 3:41 pm local time, a 1999 Boeing 737 7H4, registered N758SW, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) not oper) near Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake City Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The disconnection of baggage carts that subsequently collided with the parked airplane following the tug driving over a dip in the roadway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2014 · about 3:41 pm local time · cases in 2014
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · Salt Lake City Intl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 7H4 7H4, built 1999 · all 737 7H4s on the register
- Registration
- N758SW · no longer on the register · serial 27873
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial air carrier airplane was parked at the boarding gate with the crew onboard. A tug driver from another airline was pulling four baggage carts in the non-movement area adjacent to the boarding gates. A security video showed that the second cart hit a drain cover and detached from the preceding cart. The loose baggage carts then rolled across the ramp and into the side of the airplane, resulting in substantial damage. There were no injuries.
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 handling event during standing (engine(s) not oper) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Ground crew
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground equipment › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,500 hours in all; 9,500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 53,349 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 6, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 154,500 lb
- Seats: 151
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 34,043 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbofan); 39,624 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Airlines CO
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 4, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Delta Cart Inspection | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Salt Lake City Pd Report | PDF, 16 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos (Courtesy of Southwest Airlines) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N758SW: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Boeing 737 2,894 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Boeing 6,676 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES 708 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES 708 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Salt Lake City International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Utah 1,440 since 1982 · 264 in the last ten years
- Utah 8,355 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR14LA346.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.