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19951017047939A

Accident
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FAA accident report · Boeing 747-422 · Pacific Ocean · October 17, 1995

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
October 17, 1995 · 09:44 local
Place
Pacific Ocean
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
UALA
Aircraft
N191UA
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX96LA013
Reported as
Boeing 747422
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PW4056
People aboard
325
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
7,857 total66 in this make and model66 in the last 90 days
N191UARegistration cancelled Jun 6, 2005 · Boeing 747-422S/N 26880 · Built 1993Airframe modelBoeing 747-422Engine modelPratt & Whitney PW4000 seriesTurbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4)Six passengers were injured during a severe turbulence encounter over the Pacific Ocean while the aircraft was in cruise at flight level FL330. The accident occurred in international waters near latitude 40 degrees north, longitude 152 degrees east. Review of the forecasts and pilot reports of the dispatch/weather package given to the flight crew prior to departure disclosed that an area of light to moderate turbulence was forecast along the aircraft's planned track from 151 to 162 degrees east longitude. Pilot reports available at the time of departure consistently reported smooth conditions in the area of the forecast turbulence. At the time of the encounter the aircraft was in clear air above a Cirrus cloud deck. The crew saw no convective activity ahead either visually or on radar. In the process of preparing for a position report to air traffic control, the flight crew overheard another airline flight ahead of them reporting an encounter with moderate to severe turbulence. The captain decided to secure the cabin as a precaution. The purser was notified of the decision and the captain was in the process of reaching for the seat belt sign when the turbulence was encoun tered. All of the injured passengers were located aft of row 50, with the majority aft of row 58. None of the injured were secured by seat belts.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)SIX PASSENGERS WERE INJURED DURING A SEVERE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE AT FLIGHT LEVEL FL330. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS NEAR LATITUDE 40 DEGREES NORTH, LONGITUDE 152 DEGREES EAST. REVIEW OF THE FORECASTS AND PILOT REPORTS OF THE DISPATCH/WEATHER PACKAGE GIVEN TO THE FLIGHT CREW PRIOR TO DEPARTURE DISCLOSED THAT AN AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE TURBULENCE WAS FORECAST ALONG THE AIRCRAFT'S PLANNED TRACK FROM 151 TO 162 DEGREES EAST LONGITUDE. PILOT REPORTS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE CONSISTENTLY REPORTED SMOOTH CONDITIONS IN THE AREA OF THE FORECAST TURBULENCE. AT THE TIME OF THE ENCOUNTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CLEAR AIR ABOVE A CIRRUS CLOUD DECK. THE CREW SAW NO CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY AHEAD EITHER VISUALLY OR ON RADAR. IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING FOR A POSITION REPORT TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, THE FLIGHT CREW OVERHEARD ANOTHER AIRLINE FLIGHT AHEAD OF THEM REPORTING AN ENCOUNTER WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE. THE CAPTAIN DECIDED TO SECURE THE CABIN AS A PRECAUTION. THE PURSER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DECISION AND THE CAPTAIN WAS IN THE PROCESS OF REACHING FOR THE SEAT BELT SIGN WHEN THE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUN TERED. ALL OF THE INJURED PASSENGERS WERE LOCATED AFT OF ROW 50, WITH THE MAJORITY AFT OF ROW 58. NONE OF THE INJURED WERE SECURED BY SEAT BELTS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX96LA013Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean)an inadvertent encounter with unreported and unforecasted severe turbulence. A factor in the accident was the passengers' non-use of seat belts during cruise flight.Oct 17, 1995 · No damage

Other reports on N191UA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20020406009929IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Los Angeles, CA(-23) United airlines inc. flight 816 was arriving at gate 74 with a medical emergency. Upon arrival to the gate the 747-422 struck the lax fire department paramedic ambulance, which had responded. The number one engine struck the ambulance pushing it…Apr 6, 2002 · Minor damage