The accident occurred at 5:45 p.m. after the twin-engine jet's nose landing gear collapsed rearward and upward into the fuselage, damaging the electronics bay, which houses avionics and other equipment. The exterior of the airplane was also damaged from sliding 2,175 feet on its nose along Runway 4 before coming to rest, off to the right side of the runway.
Southwest flight 345 originated in Nashville. All 145 passengers and five crew members evacuated the airplane, with nine being treated for minor injuries. The airplane's slides deployed normally.