WN746 - Uncontrolled Dutch Roll at Cruise Altitude

Southwest Airlines flight 746 departed Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) on 25 May 2024 en route to Oakland International Airport (OAK). Less than one hour into the flight, while cruising at approximately 32,000 feet, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 (registration N8825Q) experienced an uncommanded lateral-directional oscillation known as a Dutch roll—characterized by an uncontrolled side-to-side yawing motion combined with rolling from wingtip to wingtip. The flight crew maintained control and continued to Oakland, landing safely. None of the 181 occupants (175 passengers and six crew members) were injured. Following the landing, maintenance crews discovered damage near the aircraft's tail section. The National Transportation Safety Board classified the incident as an accident due to substantial damage to the standby power control unit and structural components near the rudder system. The aircraft remained grounded in Oakland until 6 June 2024, when it was transferred to Boeing's facility in Everett, Washington for repairs. The NTSB and FAA opened investigations into the rudder control anomaly.