History of Flight
On December 6, 2018, about 0903 Pacific standard time, Southwest Airlines (SWA) flight 278, a Boeing 737-7H4, N752SW, overran the end of runway 8 during the landing roll at Bob Hope Airport (BUR), Burbank, California, and came to rest in the engineered materials arresting system (EMAS). The 2 pilots, 3 flight attendants, and 112 passengers were not injured. The airplane sustained minor damage. The regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 121. Instrument flight conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed.
The flight departed from Metropolitan Oakland International Airport about 0810. The captain was the pilot flying; the first officer was the pilot monitoring.
About 0822, the crew requested and received ATIS Hotel indicating wind 280° at 5 knots, visibility 1 1/4 miles in heavy rain and mist, and ceiling broken at 1,100 ft agl. About 0824, they received a landing data report from the company's performance weight and balance (PWB) system showing a stopping margin of 245 ft for runway 8 (5,802 ft) assuming touchdown at 1,500 ft. The crew discussed concerns about stopping distance given wet runway, tailwind, and runway length.
At 0848, ATC advised of moderate to heavy precipitation between the aircraft and BUR. The crew conducted the ILS Zulu runway 8 approach. At 0859, the tower controller reported wind 260° at 9 knots and cleared the aircraft to land, also reporting that a Boeing 737 had reported braking action as good 10 minutes earlier. The wind was later reported as 270° at 10 knots, then 11 knots. The crew discussed the 10-knot tailwind limit but agreed to proceed.
During final approach, the captain disconnected the autopilot and autothrottles at decision altitude. The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at 54 ft agl and 137 knots indicated airspeed. Touchdown occurred at 0902:35 at 126 knots indicated and 151 knots groundspeed. The performance study determined the touchdown point was 2,504 ft from the threshold, about 1,000 ft beyond the assumed 1,500 ft.
After touchdown, autobrakes, auto speedbrakes, and ground spoilers deployed. Brake pressure reached 3,000 psi in about 6 seconds. The captain used maximum reverse thrust and manual braking. The aircraft decelerated but crossed intersecting runway 15/33 and continued. The captain attempted to turn onto taxiway D1 but the nosewheel skidded. The aircraft entered the EMAS and came to rest 71 ft into the system, 144 ft past the runway end and 107 ft left of centerline. Occupants evacuated via airstairs.
Meteorological Information
BUR had an automated surface observing system (ASOS). The 0853 METAR reported wind 280° at 13 knots, visibility 1 1/4 miles in heavy rain and mist. The 0905 observation showed wind 280° at 13 knots gusting to 18 knots. The captain reported he had not previously encountered such conditions at BUR; the first officer estimated encountering tailwind or rain during 5-10% of landings there.
Aircraft Performance Study Findings
The performance study concluded that the higher-than-expected tailwind (13-18 knots vs. the 5 knots assumed), the longer-than-normal touchdown point (2,504 ft vs. 1,500 ft), and the faster-than-nominal approach speed (137 knots vs. target 131 knots) all contributed to the overrun, with the long touchdown point being the most significant contributor. The study found that the aircraft could have stopped on the runway with either the faster speed or the tailwind alone if the touchdown had been within 312 ft of the normal point.
Damage
Minor damage sustained to both engines, engine c-ducts, air conditioning heat exchangers, left engine inlet cowl, left engine inboard fan cowl, three pitot probes, two angle-of-attack probes, and a total air temperature probe.
Post-Incident Actions by Southwest Airlines
SWA issued a flight safety alert on May 6, 2019, emphasizing the need for touchdown within the first 1,500 ft of runway 8. A flight operations bulletin on November 27, 2019, defined go-around criteria based on touchdown distance. Further actions included revisions to flight operations manuals, emphasis on aeronautical decision-making, and enhanced landing exercises.