# Accident 19990115041929A: Doug DC915, Plainfield, PA, January 15, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 15, 1999, 11:20 local time
- Place: Plainfield, PA
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: MWEA
- Location: 40.2000° N, 77.2803° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2000&lon=-77.2803&mi=10
- Aircraft: N300ME (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: DOUG DC915
- Reported engine: PWA JT8D7B
- People aboard: 58
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,039 total, 3,367 in this make and model, 136 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99LA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA050) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990115041929A

## Narrative

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

(.4)THE DC-9 DEPARTED AND CLIMBED TO FLIGHT LEVEL 290. ABOUT 1 HOUR AND 35 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AIRPLANE WAS CLEARED BY ATC TO 17,000 FEET MSL.  UPON RECEIVING THE CLEARANCE, THE CAPTAIN INITIATED APPROXIMATELY A 3,500 FOOT PER MINUTE DESCENT, AND SLOWED TO 280 KNOTS.  WHILE IN THE DESCENT AND PASSING FLIGHT LEVEL 235, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED THE WAKE TURBULENCE OF A CARGO BOEING 747, WHICH WAS 12 NAUTICAL MILES AHEAD AND ALSO DESCENDING TO 17,000 FEET MSL. THE CAPTAIN OF THE DC-9 PITCHED THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE UP TO EXIT THE WAKE TURBULENCE, AND REQUESTED ADDITIONAL SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TWO AIRPLANES FROM ATC. DURING THE WAKE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER, A FLIGHT ATTENDANT IN THE GALLEY SLIPPED, AND SERIOUSLY INJURED HER RIGHT ANKLE.

## 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 NYC99LA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA050), Jan 15, 1999: Douglas DC-9 (N300ME), Plainfield, PA, no damage. Probable cause: The wake turbulence from the proceeding Boeing 747.

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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