19980418007069A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Boeing 7472F6B · New York, NY · April 18, 1998

Date: April 18, 1998 · 14:37 local
Place: New York, NY
Airport: John F Kennedy International
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: TWRA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N623FF
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC98FA094
Reported as: Boeing 7472F6B
Reported engine: GE CF650E2
People aboard: 399
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 20,000 total8,300 in this make and model181 in the last 90 days

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.

Tower air encountered clear air turbulence, 37 passengers and 1 flight attendant received minor inj. New York, NY (.4)the flight was crossing the atlantic ocean from paris france, to New York, New York. The flight crew had been briefed on the possibility of encountering clear air turbulence. The seat belt sign was turned on about 30 to 45 minutes prior to the encounter, and announcements were made in both french and english for the passengers to fasten their seat belts. An additional announcement was made about 10 minutes before the encounter. Meal service was taking place in the main cabin and the flight attendants were not seated. The airplane encountered clear air turbulence and several unsecured passengers and flight attendants were tossed about. In addition two seat belt fitting failed under the loads. Metallurgical examination of the failed fittings found intergranular failure. A check of additional fittings revealed specified metallurgy. (-23) no narrative.

As the FAA filed it

TOWER AIR ENCOUNTERED CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE, 37 PASSENGERS AND 1 FLIGHT ATTENDANT RECEIVED MINOR INJ. NEW YORK, NY (.4)THE FLIGHT WAS CROSSING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN FROM PARIS FRANCE, TO NEW YORK, NEW YORK. THE FLIGHT CREW HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON THE POSSIBILITY OF ENCOUNTERING CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE. THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS TURNED ON ABOUT 30 TO 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ENCOUNTER, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS WERE MADE IN BOTH FRENCH AND ENGLISH FOR THE PASSENGERS TO FASTEN THEIR SEAT BELTS. AN ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE ENCOUNTER. MEAL SERVICE WAS TAKING PLACE IN THE MAIN CABIN AND THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE NOT SEATED. THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE AND SEVERAL UNSECURED PASSENGERS AND FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE TOSSED ABOUT. IN ADDITION TWO SEAT BELT FITTING FAILED UNDER THE LOADS. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FAILED FITTINGS FOUND INTERGRANULAR FAILURE. A CHECK OF ADDITIONAL FITTINGS REVEALED SPECIFIED METALLURGY. (-23) NO NARRATIVE.

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 NYC98FA094Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportAtlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean)The injured passengers failure to follow the directions to fasten their seat belts, prior to an encounter with clear air turbulence.Apr 18, 1998 · Minor damage