NTSB Probes Midair ‘Dutch Roll’ Incident on Boeing 737
Last month, a Boeing 737 operated by Southwest Airlines experienced a rare aerodynamic phenomenon called a “Dutch roll,” where the aircraft experiences an oscillating motion. The incident, which involved Flight N8825Q from Phoenix to Oakland, occurred at 34,000 feet and resulted in substantial damage to the tail section of the plane. Despite the midair trouble, the flight landed safely without any injuries to the 175 passengers or six crew members.
The Dutch roll incident is particularly notable because such events are uncommon in commercial aviation, and it is even rarer for them to cause significant damage. The incident has triggered further scrutiny of Boeing’s production processes, following a series of problematic incidents beginning in January, including one where a door blew off a Boeing 737.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed the occurrence and described the tail damage as ‘substantial.’ The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is set to release a detailed report soon, aided by data from the aircraft’s flight data recorder.
This incident adds to the ongoing challenges for Boeing, which has faced numerous safety and production issues over the past few years.
By Jack Davis June 17, 2024 at 4:27am
A Boeing 737 sustained tail damage in midair last month in an incident that aviation experts say is rare for commercial flights.
On May 25, Southwest Airlines Flight N8825Q, a Boeing 737 Max experienced what is known as a “Dutch roll” — where the aircraft tail wags back and forth as the wings rock in see-saw fashion, according to NBC.
This was another in a string of recent incidents involving Boeing planes that began in January when a door blew off of a 737 jet. Since that time, Boeing’s production process has come under investigation.
The Phoenix to Oakland flight had 175 passengers and six members of the crew aboard. The plane was initially reported to be at 38,000 feet at the time of the incident, but a National Transportation Safety Board investigation showed it was at 34,000 feet.
The plane landed safely with no injuries reported.
An FAA report said the aircraft “experienced a Dutch roll, regained control and post flight inspection revealed the damage to the standby PCU,” referring to the rudder’s power control unit.
The FAA later noted that damage to the tail was “substantial,” according to USA Today.
“Having a Dutch roll event is unusual,” John Cox, an instructor at the University of Southern California and CEO of the consulting firm Safety Operating Systems, told The Washington Post.
“Having one that caused damage is unheard of,” he said.
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CBS News aviation analyst Robert Sumwalt called the incident “significant.”
“Any uncommanded flight control movement is potentially significant. The fact that this resulted in significant damage makes this sort of a big deal,” Sumwalt told CBS senior transportation and national correspondent Kris Van Cleave in an email.
In its reporting, USA Today wrote that “Dutch rolls are fairly rare in commercial aviation.”
“The movement can stress the airplane fuselage and cause damage as it did in the Southwest incident. Dutch roll incidents have previously caused planes to break apart inflight,” it reported.
Tracking data from FlightAware indicates the jet was flown to Boeing’s plant in Everett, Washington, on June 6.
🇺🇸SOUTHWEST AIRLINES JET DAMAGED BY DUTCH ROLL MANEUVER
A Southwest Airlines flight from Phoenix to Oakland on May 25 experienced a Dutch roll maneuver, causing substantial damage to the plane’s tail section.
The Boeing 737 Max 8, flying at 34,000 feet, completed the flight… pic.twitter.com/D6pKz33npg
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 14, 2024
The NTSB report on the incident is due later this month, according to USA Today.
“The NTSB’s Vehicle Recorder Laboratory in Washington has received data downloaded from the airplane’s digital flight data recorder. Data from the recorder will aid investigators in determining the length and severity of the event,” the NTSB said.
“The cockpit voice recorder, which is currently limited to two hours of audio, was overwritten and unavailable to investigators. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the date of the event,” the NTSB said.
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