The pilots of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 continued an approach to Burbank, California, U.S., despite an 11-kt tail wind and reports of wind shear, and then were unable to stop the 737 before rolling into the engineered materials arresting system (EMAS)1 at the runway’s end, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says.
None of the 117 passengers and crewmembers on Flight 278 to Bob Hope Airport (officially known as Hollywood Burbank Airport) was injured in the runway excursion, which caused minor damage to the airplane.
The NTSB, in its final report on the Dec. 6, 2018, incident, cited as the probable causes the flight crew’s decision to continue the approach, “due to plan continuation bias” — their bias in favor of continuing with their original plan despite changed conditions — and the crew’s misperception of the 737’s touchdown point, which was farther down the runway than they thought.
The report cited as a contributing factor S…
