# Accident 19970914037249A: Boeing 747422, Grand Forks, ND, September 14, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 14, 1997, 14:24 local time
- Place: Grand Forks, ND
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: UALA
- Location: 47.9106° N, 97.0709° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.9106&lon=-97.0709&mi=10
- Aircraft: N175UA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N175UA-2018-07-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 747-422 (registry code 1384935, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-747-422) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PW4000 series (registry code 52119, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pw4000-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 747422
- People aboard: 319
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 20,086 total, 1,660 in this make and model, 162 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA292](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA292) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970914037249A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE NEAR A THUNDERSTORM. PASSEBGERS AND FLIGHT ATTENDANT INJURED. (.4) ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1997, AT 1424 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BOEING 747-422, N175UA, OPERATING AS UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 881, EXPERIENCED TURBULENCE WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA. ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. EIGHTEEN CABIN ATTENDANTS AND 300 PASSENGERS REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED NO DAMAGE. THE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AT 1302 WITH THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF NARITA, JAPAN. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR INDICATED THAT A SIGMET (43C) WAS IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT FORECASTING THE CHANCE OF SEVERE TURBULENCE IN THE AREA OF THE ENCOUNTER. ACCORDING TO WRITTEN STATEMENTS, THE CAPTAIN WAS AT THE CONTROLS. AN AREA OF PRECIPITATION WAS NOTED ON RADAR WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE. ABOUT 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO ENCOUNTERING IMC CONDITIONS, THE FLIGHT CREW TURNED ON THE "FASTEN SEAT BELT" SIGNS, AND A VERBAL ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE IN ENGLISH AND JAPANESE FOR THE PASSENGERS TO RETURN TO THEIR SEATS AND FASTEN THEIR SEAT BELTS.      THE STATEMENTS INDICATE THAT THE FLIGHT DEVIATED TO AVOID THE PRECIPITATION; HOWEVER, THE FLIGHT WAS IN IMC CONDITIONS WITH CONTINUOUS LIGHT CHOP. AFTER PASSING THE DISPLAYED PRECIPITATION, AND DURING A TURN BACK TO INTERCEPT THE ORIGINAL COURSE, THE CREW REPORTED ENCOUNTERING THREE TO FOUR SECONDS OF "MODERATE" CHOP. A FEW MINUTES LATER THEY WERE NOTIFIED BY CABIN ATTENDANTS OF ONE PASSENGER INJURY WHICH OCCURRED WHICH THE PASSENGER WAS NOT SEATED. A DECISION WAS THEN MADE TO DIVERT TO MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. THE CREW STATED THAT THEY WERE LATER INFORMED OF AN INJURY SUSTAINED BY A FLIGHT ATTENDANT TO HER KNEE. AFTER THE LANDING AT MINNEAPOLIS, IT WAS DETERMINED THE PASSENGER HAD RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES; HOWEVER, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT'S INJURIES WERE SERIOUS. NONE OF THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTED ANY INJURIES. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT CREW HAD RECEIVED A COMPANY WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM CHICAGO. SIGMET (43C) WHICH WAS IN EFFECT AT THE TIME AND INDICATED THE CHANCE OF SEVERE TURBULENCE IN THE AREA OF THE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97LA292](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA292), Sep 14, 1997: Boeing 747-422 (N175UA), Grand Forks, ND, no damage. Probable cause: The flight attendant's seat belt was not secured. A factor was turbulence in the clouds.

## Other reports on N175UA (1)

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

- [Incident 20030401005799I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030401005799I), Apr 1, 2003: Boeing 747422 (N175UA), Chicago, IL. (-23) On April 1, 2003, aircraft N175UA, operating as ua flt 896-1 hkg to ord declared an emergency on descent and approach into ord due to a restriction in…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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