Boeing 737 N734SA accident near San Jose, California

Probable cause

A passenger falling while returning to her seat which resulted in a serious injury.

NTSB analysis

On October 11, 2018, about 1100 pacific daylight time, Southwest Airlines flight 2134, a Boeing B737-700, N734SA, was on final decent into Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (KSJC), San Jose, California, when a passenger fell returning to her seat. Of the 122 passengers and crew onboard, one passenger received serious injuries. The regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from John Wayne Airport (KSNA), Santa Ana, California, to KSJC.

According to the flight attendants, as they were completing their final walkthrough of the cabin, a passenger exited the lavatory and tripped as she was returning to her seat. The seatbelt sign was illuminated, and the airplane was below 10,000 feet. The passenger immediately complained of hip pain and a flight attendant remained on the floor with the injured passenger for landing. Emergency medical personnel met the airplane at the gate and transported the passenger to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured left hip.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for DCA19CA006 for the full record.