A Southwest Airlines plane that did a ‘Dutch roll’ suffered structural damage, investigators say

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

Investigators say a Southwest Airlines plane suffered damage to parts of the structure after it went into a “Dutch roll” during a flight last month. The National Transportation Safety Board said on Friday that the roll of the Boeing 737 Max happened May 25, but Southwest didn’t notify the safety board until June 7. A Dutch roll is an unstable combination of yaw, or the tail sliding sideways, and the plane rocking in a way that causes the wings to roll up and down. No one was injured on the Southwest flight, which landed safely in Oakland, California. A Southwest spokesperson said the Dallas-based airline is participating in the investigation. He declined further comment.