# Accident 19990708040379A: Boeing 737824, Altantic Ocean, July 8, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 8, 1999, 14:10 local time
- Place: Altantic Ocean
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: CALA
- Aircraft: N12221, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N12221) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 737-824 (registry code 13844BZ, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-824) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: CFM International CFM56 series (registry code 13802, https://openairdocs.org/engine/cfm-international-cfm56-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 737824
- People aboard: 21
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 14,800 total, 3,300 in this make and model, 215 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD99FA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD99FA052) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990708040379A

## Narrative

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

(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED EWR FOR SJU. WHILE IN CRUISE AT FL290 AND IN SMOOTH AIR WITH THE SEATBELT SIGNTURNED OFF, CREW REPORTED ONE JOLT AT WHICH TIME THE A/C DESCENDED 500' DUE TO POSSIBLE INJURIES, THE CREW DIVERTED TO BDA AND LANDED AT 2004Z.                                                      (.4)THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 29,000 FEET IN SMOOTH AIR WITH THE SEAT BELT SIGN TURNED OFF. THE CREW REPORTED TWO JOLTS, AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED 600 FEET.  DUE TO POSSIBLE INJURIES, THE CREW DIVERTED TO BERMUDA (BDA) AND LANDED.  READOUT OF THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER INDICATED CRUISE FLIGHT AT 29,000 FEET WITH NO CHANGE IN HEADING, AIRSPEED, OR ALTITUDE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES APPROACHING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE.  THE ALTITUDE GRAPH SHOWED A SLIGHT CLIMB BEFORE THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED TO 28,400 FEET.  THE GRAPH LINE INDICATED A SLOW RECOVERY TO 29,000 FEET WITH NO OSCILLATIONS.  THE ELAPSED TIME BETWEEN THE FIRST ALTITUDE EXCURSION TO RECOVERED CRUISE FLIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 75 SECONDS.  OF THE 155 PASSENGERS ON BOARD, ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND 67 RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED FOR FLIGHT LEVEL 330 TO FLIGHT LEVEL 370.  THEREFORE, NO INFORMATION  CONCERNING FORECAST TURBULENCE AT FLIGHT LEVEL 290 WAS AVAILABLE TO THE FLIGHT CREW. THE HIGH LEVEL SIGNIFICANT WEATHER PROGNOSIS CHART FOR THAT PERIOD REVEALED THAT NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER WAS SHOWN IN THE AREA WHERE THE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED.

## 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 IAD99FA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD99FA052), Jul 8, 1999: Boeing 737-824 (N12221), Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean), minor damage. Probable cause: the aircrew's inadvertent encounter with unforecast clear air turbulence.

## Other reports on N12221 (1)

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

- [Accident 20110506008009A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110506008009A), May 6, 2011: Boeing 737-824 (N12221), Greenville, MS, Substantial damage. While taxing out of paint facility to active runway the aircraft encountered a sink hole that opened during taxi over ramp causing left landing gear/left…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.