# Accident 19990208023969A: Doug DC983, Raleigh-Durham, NC, February 8, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 8, 1999, 18:41 local time
- Place: Raleigh-Durham, NC
- Airport: Raleigh-Durham International
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: AALA
- Location: 35.8776° N, 78.7875° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at RALEIGH-DURHAM INTL (RDU), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.8776&lon=-78.7875&mi=10
- Aircraft: N433AA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N433AA-2019-01-07) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83) (registry code 3022083, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-dc-9-83-md-83) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D series (registry code 52053, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DOUG DC983
- Reported engine: PWA JT8D9
- People aboard: 133
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 14,800 total, 1,264 in this make and model, 132 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL99LA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA049) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990208023969A

## Narrative

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

(.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRPLANE WAS DESCENDING THROUGH 17,000 FEET FOR AN APPROACH INTO RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA WHEN SEVERE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE SECURING THE PASSENGER CABIN AND GALLEY FOR LANDING AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE.  THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ON.  ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE WAS NOT FORECASTED.  EXAMINATION, THE DIGITAL FLIGHT DATA RECORDER (DFDR) REVEALED THAT THE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 17,462 FEET ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 144 DEGREES. THE DFDR ALSO INDICATED THAT DURING THE TURBULENCE, VERTICAL ACCELERATION REACHED A MAXIMUM OF  2.05 G'S AND A MINIMUM OF -.49 G'S.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             (-23) ON DESCENT ONTO RDU, 10 MI. NW OF SOUTH BOSTON VOR, PASSING THRU 17K, AIRCRAFT HIT TURBULENCE, 4 FLIGHT ATTENDANTS INJURED. 1 SERIOUS, 3 MINOR.  ONE OF THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WAS NOT ON DUTY.

## 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 ATL99LA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA049), Feb 8, 1999: McDonnell Douglas MD-80 (N433AA), Raleigh, NC, no damage. Probable cause: The flight encountered clear air turbulence while descending through 17,000 feet mean sea level (MSL).

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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