It was a routine evening in March 2000. For the passengers on Southwest Airlines Flight 1455, the short hop from Las Vegas to Burbank, California, should have ended with a quick walk to the terminal. Instead, it ended in the middle of a city street.
The Boeing 737 didn’t just miss the mark. It blasted through a metal blast fence, skipped over a perimeter road, and came to a rest inches away from a gas station on Hollywood Way. Looking back, it’s honestly a miracle nobody died. But the reason this crash matters so much decades later isn't just the spectacular visual of a jet sitting in traffic. It’s because it exposed the dangerous "get-there-itis" that can infect even the most experienced pilots.
The Impossible Approach at Burbank
Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport (now Hollywood Burbank Airport) is notorious among pilots. It's tight. The runways are short. Runway 8, where the crew was headed, is only about 6,000 feet long. For a 737-300 coming in hot, that is basically a postage stamp.
On March 5, 2000, the cockpit crew was running a bit behind. Air Traffic Control (ATC) gave them a late descent clearance. This happens. But instead of saying "no thanks" or asking for a loop to bleed off altitude, the pilots tried to force it. They were high. They were fast. Way too fast.
By the time the plane was at 3,000 feet, it was already significantly above the normal glide path. Most airlines have "stabilized approach" rules. Usually, if you aren't lined up and at the right speed by 1,000 feet, you go around. You pull up, circle back, and try again. The crew of Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 didn't do that.
They kept pushing.
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High, Fast, and Out of Room
The numbers are actually terrifying when you look at the NTSB report. When the plane crossed the runway threshold, it was traveling at 181 knots. For context, it should have been closer to 140 knots. That extra 40 knots might not sound like a big deal in a car, but in a multi-ton jet on a short, wet-slicked runway, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Because they were so fast, the plane floated. It didn't want to land. It finally touched down nearly halfway down the runway. At that point, physics takes over. You can slam on the brakes and deploy the thrust reversers all you want, but there just isn't enough asphalt left to stop a 737 doing highway speeds.
- The plane was at 230 knots just 2 miles from the runway.
- The descent rate was over 2,000 feet per minute—double what is considered safe.
- Ground spoilers deployed, but the momentum was too great.
The Captain, a veteran with over 9,000 hours on the 737, later admitted he thought he could "make it work." That’s a classic trap. Experienced people often think their skill can override the laws of motion. It can't.
The Moment of Impact
Passengers reported feeling the heavy braking immediately. People were screaming. The jet didn't stop at the end of the runway. It smashed through the 14-foot metal blast fence like it was made of paper.
It crossed Hollywood Way, a busy four-lane street. If the light had been red for cross-traffic, the death toll would have been massive. Fortunately, the plane stopped just short of a Chevron station. Fuel was leaking. The smell was everywhere. Flight attendants moved fast, getting all 142 people off the plane in under 92 seconds.
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There were only two serious injuries and a handful of minor ones. Given the location of the crash, the outcome was incredibly lucky. The aircraft itself was a total loss, but the human cost was surprisingly low.
Why the NTSB Blamed "Steep Approach" Culture
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) didn't hold back. They pointed squarely at the pilots for failing to execute a missed approach. But they also looked at the culture of "expedited arrivals." At the time, Southwest had a reputation for fast turnarounds and efficient flying. While that's great for business, the NTSB worried it created an internal pressure to land the plane no matter what.
Interestingly, the ATC instructions also played a role. The controller had positioned them in a way that made a steep descent necessary if they wanted to land immediately. However, the ultimate responsibility always sits with the person in the left seat. The Captain has the final authority to say "Unsafe, going around."
What We Learned from Southwest Airlines Flight 1455
This accident changed things. If you fly today, you benefit from the lessons learned at Burbank.
First, airlines tightened their "Stabilized Approach Criteria." Nowadays, if a pilot is even slightly off their target speed or altitude at the 1,000-foot mark, a go-around is mandatory. No questions asked. No punishment from management. It’s now seen as a sign of a good pilot, not a bad one.
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Second, we saw the massive rollout of EMAS—Engineered Material Arresting Systems. You’ve probably seen these at the end of runways. They look like blocks of concrete, but they’re actually soft, crushable material designed to stop a plane's tires like a runaway truck ramp. While Burbank didn't have one in 2000, the Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 incident became the poster child for why every short-runway airport needs them.
Practical Takeaways for Travelers
While you can’t fly the plane from row 12, understanding these incidents helps you be a more informed passenger.
- Respect the "Go-Around": If your pilot suddenly pulls up and the engines roar right before landing, don't panic. They are doing exactly what the crew of Flight 1455 failed to do. They are choosing safety over "making it work."
- Burbank is Safer Now: The airport has seen significant safety upgrades since 2000, including better coordination between ATC and pilots regarding descent profiles.
- Trust the Process: Aviation is the safest mode of transport because every time a plane ends up on a city street, the entire industry spends years making sure it never happens that way again.
The legacy of Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 isn't just a scary story about a plane in a gas station. It's the reason your next flight will likely involve a very boring, very stable, and very safe landing. Boring is good in aviation.
To better understand modern flight safety, you might want to look into the specific NTSB recommendations regarding Runway Safety Areas (RSA). Most major airports have now standardized these zones to prevent exactly what happened in Burbank. Check your local airport's layout next time you fly; those yellow markings and extra-long paved shoulders aren't just for show—they are the direct result of lessons learned from Flight 1455.