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20140116000729I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Boeing 777-224 · Newark, NJ · January 16, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
January 16, 2014 · 15:43 local
Place
Newark, NJ
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
CALA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N78017
Reported as
Boeing 777-224
Reported engine
GE GE90-90B
People aboard
199
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
5
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
19,311 total9,673 in this make and model
N78017Registered now · Boeing 777-224S/N 31679 · Built 2002Airframe modelBoeing 777-224Engine modelGE GE90-90BTurbo-fan

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.

United flight 89 departed Newark, NJ (ewr) for beijing, china (pek). The captain's paperwork indicated turbulence due to a strong jet stream. The dispatcher's remarks also indicated turbulence enroute. The captain briefed the turbulence to the flight attendants and instructed them to remain seated until instructed. The take-off and climb were normal with only light turbulence. ATC advised the flight that only light turbulence was reported through climb to FL330. Reaching FL330, ATC again advised that only light chop was reported at FL330. The captain notified the flight attendants telling them it would be safe to start their service. The captain also made a pa announcement to the passengers to remain seated and the seat belt sign was on. Shortly after the flight attendants began their service (level at FL330), flight 89 experienced two violent bursts of severe turbulence. Several flight attendants were injured. No passengers were injured. The captain declared a medical emergency and diverted to Newark, NJ (ewr). Medical personnel met the aircraft at the gate. Five flight attendants were treated for injuries at the local emergency room.

As the FAA filed it

UNITED FLIGHT 89 DEPARTED NEWARK, NJ (EWR) FOR BEIJING, CHINA (PEK). THE CAPTAIN'S PAPERWORK INDICATED TURBULENCE DUE TO A STRONG JET STREAM. THE DISPATCHER'S REMARKS ALSO INDICATED TURBULENCE ENROUTE. THE CAPTAIN BRIEFED THE TURBULENCE TO THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AND INSTRUCTED THEM TO REMAIN SEATED UNTIL INSTRUCTED. THE TAKE-OFF AND CLIMB WERE NORMAL WITH ONLY LIGHT TURBULENCE. ATC ADVISED THE FLIGHT THAT ONLY LIGHT TURBULENCE WAS REPORTED THROUGH CLIMB TO FL330. REACHING FL330, ATC AGAIN ADVISED THAT ONLY LIGHT CHOP WAS REPORTED AT FL330. THE CAPTAIN NOTIFIED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS TELLING THEM IT WOULD BE SAFE TO START THEIR SERVICE. THE CAPTAIN ALSO MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PASSENGERS TO REMAIN SEATED AND THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ON. SHORTLY AFTER THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS BEGAN THEIR SERVICE (LEVEL AT FL330), FLIGHT 89 EXPERIENCED TWO VIOLENT BURSTS OF SEVERE TURBULENCE. SEVERAL FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE INJURED. NO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. THE CAPTAIN DECLARED A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND DIVERTED TO NEWARK, NJ (EWR). MEDICAL PERSONNEL MET THE AIRCRAFT AT THE GATE. FIVE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE TREATED FOR INJURIES AT THE LOCAL EMERGENCY ROOM.