No fatalities

23 Feb 2008: Boeing 737-700 — Southwest Airlines — Valdosta, GA

Valdosta, GA, United States

On 23 Feb 2008, a Boeing 737-700 operated by Southwest Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Valdosta, GA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was caused by an unexpected encounter with turbulence while the aircraft was on approach for landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 14 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards
Boeing 737-700
Photo: San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 experienced moderate turbulence during its arrival into Orlando International Airport, resulting in one injury.

What happened

On February 23, 2008, a Boeing 737-700, operating as N551WN, was flying at 30,000 feet on the PIGLT1 arrival to Orlando International Airport (MCO). During the flight, the aircraft encountered unexpected turbulence that the pilot flying described as being at least moderate in intensity. The turbulence lasted approximately 10 seconds.

At the time of the encounter, the autopilot was engaged, the seat belt sign was illuminated, and flight attendants were in the process of securing the cabin for landing. During the turbulence, one flight attendant was thrown against a wall, resulting in 1 serious injury (a fractured ankle). The aircraft subsequently landed at MCO without further incident.

Weather

The weather conditions at the time of the event were Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) with visibility of 10 statute miles.

Probable cause

The accident was caused by an unexpected encounter with turbulence while the aircraft was on approach for landing.

Contributing factors

Turbulence