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20030806021379A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Airbus A340311 · Houston, TX · August 6, 2003

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Date
August 6, 2003 · 15:56 local
Place
Houston, TX
Airport
Houston Intercontinental Airport
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
Foreign air carrier (Part 129)
Operator
DLAF
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
DAIGK
Reported as
Airbus A340311
People aboard
216
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
18,593 total4,093 in this make and model176 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.

(-23) While over NE Arkansas (ARG040030) at FL 310 the A-340-300 Airbus reported severe turbulence. The crew initally diverted to lit, but decided to continue to iah after physician(s) treating injured persons in the passenger cabin told the the crew that the injuries were not serious or life threatening. The crew climbed back up to cruise altitude and continued to iah, landing at 1707 CDT. Written and oral statements from the crew and television interviews of several of the passengers immediately after landing showed that the "fasten seat belt" light was on, and the flight attendants were securing from the second meal service. Evidence of damage to ceiling panels, overhead panels, and records of the injuries to passengers show that a considerable number of the 244 passengers onboard the aircraft did not have their seat belts fastened. Evidence shows that some passengers' failure to fasten their seat belts may have affected the seriousness of several passengers' injuries. Written and oral statements from the cabin crew show that perhaps as few as two galley carts (trolleys) were still in the passenger cabin aisles and unsecured, and at least one other galley cart (trolley) was unsecured in the aft galley area.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE OVER NE ARKANSAS (ARG040030) AT FL 310 THE A-340-300 AIRBUS REPORTED SEVERE TURBULENCE. THE CREW INITALLY DIVERTED TO LIT, BUT DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO IAH AFTER PHYSICIAN(S) TREATING INJURED PERSONS IN THE PASSENGER CABIN TOLD THE THE CREW THAT THE INJURIES WERE NOT SERIOUS OR LIFE THREATENING. THE CREW CLIMBED BACK UP TO CRUISE ALTITUDE AND CONTINUED TO IAH, LANDING AT 1707 CDT. WRITTEN AND ORAL STATEMENTS FROM THE CREW AND TELEVISION INTERVIEWS OF SEVERAL OF THE PASSENGERS IMMEDIATELY AFTER LANDING SHOWED THAT THE "FASTEN SEAT BELT" LIGHT WAS ON, AND THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE SECURING FROM THE SECOND MEAL SERVICE. EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE TO CEILING PANELS, OVERHEAD PANELS, AND RECORDS OF THE INJURIES TO PASSENGERS SHOW THAT A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF THE 244 PASSENGERS ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE THEIR SEAT BELTS FASTENED. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT SOME PASSENGERS' FAILURE TO FASTEN THEIR SEAT BELTS MAY HAVE AFFECTED THE SERIOUSNESS OF SEVERAL PASSENGERS' INJURIES. WRITTEN AND ORAL STATEMENTS FROM THE CABIN CREW SHOW THAT PERHAPS AS FEW AS TWO GALLEY CARTS (TROLLEYS) WERE STILL IN THE PASSENGER CABIN AISLES AND UNSECURED, AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER GALLEY CART (TROLLEY) WAS UNSECURED IN THE AFT GALLEY AREA.