A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N247WN performing flight WN-2231 from Austin,TX to Nashville,TN (USA) with 144 passengers and 5 crew, was in the initial descent towards Nashville when the aircraft encountered hail. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Nashville's runway 20R. The aircraft sustained substantial damage as result of the hail strike.
The aircraft remained on the ground in Nashville until May 5th 2025, then positioned to Kansas City and remained on the ground in Kansas until Jun 14th 2025 before returning to service.
On Feb 27th 2026 the NTSB released their final report and investigation docket concluding the probable causes of the accident were:
An encounter with hail during descent.
The NTSB analysed:
On May 2, 2025, at 1200 pm central daylight time, Southwest Airlines flight 2231 (SWA2231) encountered turbulence and hail during initial descent into Nashville International airport (BNA), Nashville, Tennessee. The flight was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from AustinBergstrom International airport (AUS) to BNA. As a result of the hail, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edges of the wings and horizontal stabilizer. The flight continued to its destination without further incident.
The flight crew reported that thunderstorm activity was forecast for their arrival at BNA, and they observed weather approaching the airport using a weather application (WSI app) on their electronic flight bag (EFB). They planned and conducted a deviation to the north to avoid the weather. As the airplane passed the Memphis area, the captain asked the flight attendants to be seated early in the event of unforeseen turbulence.
Prior to the encounter, while descending from flight level (FL) 360 toward FL240, the flight had been in clear air and the flight crew could see a cloud build-up at their 1:00 oclock position. Air Traffic Control (ATC) also advised of a cell at their 12:30 to 1:00 oclock position. However, after reviewing the on-board weather radar and the WSI app on the EFB, those sources did not depict any indications of weather directly ahead of the airplane. As the descent continued, the flight crew noticed below and ahead of the airplane was a flat stratus cloud layer, with no buildups. ATC advised of moderate to extreme precipitation at their 12:30 to 1:00 position, which the crew associated with the buildup they had visually seen at their 1:00 oclock position.
SWA2231 entered the clouds at about FL320 and initially the ride was smooth, with occasional light chop. While at a speed of 290 knots, at FL280, SWA2231 suddenly encountered precipitation and turbulence. The captain recalled that the rain was very heavy and the excessive noise caused him to suspect hail, but he was unable to verify visually. He retarded the throttles and deployed the speed brake to slow to turbulent air penetration speed. After about 1 minute the heavy precipitation ceased, and the airplane levelled off at FL240, still in instrument meteorological conditions. The flight crew reported the moderate turbulence to ATC and continued to BNA.
A review of weather records revealed that the National Weather Services (NWS) Aviation Weather Center had issued Convective SIGMET 99C at 1155 which was extended over the area for an area of severe embedded thunderstorms, moving from 250° at 40 knots, with maximum tops above FL450. Hail to one inch in diameter and wind gusts to 50 knots were possible with the storms. The NWS Storm Prediction Center had issued a severe thunderstorm weather watch at 0956 for a line of severe thunderstorms moving across Tennessee.
The aircraft remained on the ground in Nashville until May 5th 2025, then positioned to Kansas City and remained on the ground in Kansas until Jun 14th 2025 before returning to service.
On Feb 27th 2026 the NTSB released their final report and investigation docket concluding the probable causes of the accident were:
An encounter with hail during descent.
The NTSB analysed:
On May 2, 2025, at 1200 pm central daylight time, Southwest Airlines flight 2231 (SWA2231) encountered turbulence and hail during initial descent into Nashville International airport (BNA), Nashville, Tennessee. The flight was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from AustinBergstrom International airport (AUS) to BNA. As a result of the hail, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edges of the wings and horizontal stabilizer. The flight continued to its destination without further incident.
The flight crew reported that thunderstorm activity was forecast for their arrival at BNA, and they observed weather approaching the airport using a weather application (WSI app) on their electronic flight bag (EFB). They planned and conducted a deviation to the north to avoid the weather. As the airplane passed the Memphis area, the captain asked the flight attendants to be seated early in the event of unforeseen turbulence.
Prior to the encounter, while descending from flight level (FL) 360 toward FL240, the flight had been in clear air and the flight crew could see a cloud build-up at their 1:00 oclock position. Air Traffic Control (ATC) also advised of a cell at their 12:30 to 1:00 oclock position. However, after reviewing the on-board weather radar and the WSI app on the EFB, those sources did not depict any indications of weather directly ahead of the airplane. As the descent continued, the flight crew noticed below and ahead of the airplane was a flat stratus cloud layer, with no buildups. ATC advised of moderate to extreme precipitation at their 12:30 to 1:00 position, which the crew associated with the buildup they had visually seen at their 1:00 oclock position.
SWA2231 entered the clouds at about FL320 and initially the ride was smooth, with occasional light chop. While at a speed of 290 knots, at FL280, SWA2231 suddenly encountered precipitation and turbulence. The captain recalled that the rain was very heavy and the excessive noise caused him to suspect hail, but he was unable to verify visually. He retarded the throttles and deployed the speed brake to slow to turbulent air penetration speed. After about 1 minute the heavy precipitation ceased, and the airplane levelled off at FL240, still in instrument meteorological conditions. The flight crew reported the moderate turbulence to ATC and continued to BNA.
A review of weather records revealed that the National Weather Services (NWS) Aviation Weather Center had issued Convective SIGMET 99C at 1155 which was extended over the area for an area of severe embedded thunderstorms, moving from 250° at 40 knots, with maximum tops above FL450. Hail to one inch in diameter and wind gusts to 50 knots were possible with the storms. The NWS Storm Prediction Center had issued a severe thunderstorm weather watch at 0956 for a line of severe thunderstorms moving across Tennessee.
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