Southwest Flight 2231 Hail Damage Near Nashville (N247WN) — NTSB Final Report

On May 2, 2025, Southwest Airlines Flight 2231, a Boeing 737 (N247WN), encountered turbulence and hail during initial descent toward Nashville International Airport (BNA) while operating from Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). The flight continued to BNA without injury to any of the 149 occupants, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the leading edges of the wings and horizontal stabilizer. Federal investigators issued a final report, with particular focus on the hail encounter in convective weather and why onboard and EFB weather depictions did not show the severe cell along the flight path.

Accident Summary

What Happened

The flight crew reported thunderstorm activity was forecast for arrival at BNA and they monitored weather using a WSI application on the electronic flight bag (EFB), planning a deviation to the north. As the flight descended from FL360 toward FL240 in clear air, the crew visually observed a cloud buildup at their 1 o’clock position, and ATC advised of a “cell” at about their 12:30 to 1:00 position. The crew stated that neither the onboard weather radar nor the WSI app depicted indications of weather directly ahead of the airplane at that time.

The crew later noted a flat stratus layer below and ahead with no buildups, while ATC advised of moderate to extreme precipitation in the same general bearing. The airplane entered clouds at about FL320; the ride was initially smooth with occasional light chop. While descending at FL280 at a speed of about 290 knots, the airplane suddenly encountered heavy precipitation and turbulence, and the captain suspected hail based on the noise but could not visually confirm it.

The captain retarded the throttles and deployed speed brakes to slow toward turbulent air penetration speed. After about one minute, the heavy precipitation ceased and the airplane leveled at FL240 while still in instrument meteorological conditions; the crew reported moderate turbulence to ATC and continued to BNA. The airplane later showed substantial hail damage to the leading edges of the wings and horizontal stabilizer.

Aircraft and Operational Context

The airplane was a Boeing 737 (model 737-7H4), registration N247WN, manufactured in 2006 and operated by Southwest Airlines as a Part 121 scheduled passenger flight. The aircraft was powered by two CFM56-7B24 turbofan engines. No injuries were reported among the 149 occupants.

Meteorological products cited in the final report included a Convective SIGMET for an area of severe embedded thunderstorms with tops above FL450, with hail to one inch in diameter and wind gusts to 50 knots possible. The investigation’s weather analysis referenced radar reflectivity along the flight path consistent with a severe convective core and hail potential in the vicinity of the flight track.

Accident Investigation

Events involving turbulence and hail encounters are typically reconstructed using flight path information, air traffic communications, crew statements, and meteorological products, and the final report framework generally follows the staged process described in our overview of the NTSB investigation process.

The NTSB’s radar analysis placed the airplane’s flight path through extreme reflectivity echoes, with hail algorithms indicating hail potential near the flight track and echo tops extending into the mid-FL400s. The final report stated the reason the onboard weather radar system and the WSI EFB application did not depict the severe weather was not determined, noting potential contributors such as radar limitations (including tilt and range), attenuation, rapid storm development or movement, and latency in app data—without sufficient evidence to identify which, if any, was causal.

For additional context on how aviation investigations often rely on operational documentation and technical reconstruction in weather-driven events, see the firm’s representative aviation matters.

Operational and Regulatory Issues

The final report highlights a common operational challenge in convective environments: the difference between what crews see visually and what is depicted on airborne radar and third-party EFB weather tools. The investigation cited aviation weather guidance emphasizing airborne radar limitations, including attenuation effects that can mask cells behind strong returns, and cautions that hail and hazardous turbulence can extend beyond the apparent echo edge.

From an operational standpoint, this event also underscores why crews may choose earlier cabin securing actions when convective activity is forecast, even before an encounter occurs. The captain asked flight attendants to be seated early as the flight progressed toward the forecast weather area, and the crew reduced speed and configured for turbulence after the encounter began.

Aviation Accident Litigation

Although the NTSB’s conclusions are safety-focused, turbulence and hail encounters that result in substantial aircraft damage can generate civil issues involving operational procedures, weather information use, and post-event inspection and return-to-service decisions, as discussed in our overview of aviation accident litigation.

Where a final report identifies a gap between available meteorological products and what was depicted to the crew in real time, fact development often centers on the operator’s documented weather-avoidance policies, training on radar limitations, and the selection and limitations of EFB weather tools used in flight. Comparable categories of technical and operational documentation can be seen across the firm’s selected aviation verdicts and settlements.

Even without passenger injuries, substantial damage events can involve significant repair costs and operational disruption, and the technical record can become central if responsibility is disputed. In cases with injuries, additional proof issues can include event timing, restraint use, and medical causation—topics that often arise in aviation matters involving weather encounters and cabin dynamics.

Over time, broader patterns in civil outcomes can vary based on event severity, evidence strength, and the nature of claimed damages, as discussed in our overview of aviation crash verdict trends. For this event, the NTSB’s final report centered on the hail encounter during descent and the unresolved question of why the crew’s onboard and EFB weather depictions did not show the severe cell along the flight path.