# Turbulence encounter

- Type: NTSB defining event
- NTSB code: 360
- CICTT category: Turbulence
- Defining event in: 343 cases
- In the sequence of: 423 cases
- Fatal cases: 12
- All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/cases.md
- Cases with it anywhere in the sequence: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360

## Cases per year (defining / in the sequence)

- 2008: 12 / 20
- 2009: 15 / 21
- 2010: 9 / 17
- 2011: 22 / 27
- 2012: 22 / 28
- 2013: 9 / 13
- 2014: 17 / 20
- 2015: 18 / 23
- 2016: 19 / 28
- 2017: 16 / 18
- 2018: 18 / 22
- 2019: 24 / 24
- 2020: 13 / 17
- 2021: 11 / 14
- 2022: 18 / 19
- 2023: 22 / 25
- 2024: 31 / 40
- 2025: 25 / 25
- 2026: 22 / 22

## Phase of flight

- Enroute-descent: 105 cases
- Enroute-cruise: 95 cases
- Enroute: 45 cases
- Approach: 35 cases
- Enroute-climb to cruise: 23 cases
- Initial climb: 8 cases
- Approach-VFR pattern final: 7 cases
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: 6 cases
- Maneuvering: 5 cases
- Approach-IFR initial approach: 3 cases

## In the probable cause of these cases

- [Convective turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020) (Environmental issues): 108 cases
- [Clear air turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032015) (Environmental issues): 50 cases
- [Turbulence, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032000) (Environmental issues): 27 cases
- [Terrain induced turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010) (Environmental issues): 17 cases
- [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040) (Personnel issues): 16 cases
- [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520) (Personnel issues): 15 cases
- [Following instructions](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063537) (Personnel issues): 5 cases
- [Use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015) (Personnel issues): 5 cases
- [Lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030) (Personnel issues): 5 cases
- [Wake turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032025) (Environmental issues): 4 cases

## Aircraft models (registry)

- [Boeing 737-7H4](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-7h4): 16 cases
- [Airbus A320-232](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-a320-232): 10 cases
- [Boeing 777-223](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-777-223): 10 cases
- [Airbus A321-231](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-a321-231): 8 cases
- [Boeing 777-222](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-777-222): 6 cases
- [Boeing 757-232](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-757-232): 6 cases
- [Embraer-Empresa Brasileira De ERJ 170-200 LR](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-empresa-brasileira-de-erj-170-200-lr): 5 cases
- [Boeing 787-9](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-787-9): 5 cases
- [Boeing 767-322](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-767-322): 5 cases
- [Boeing 737-824](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-824): 5 cases

## Newest cases

- [NTSB DCA27LA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA27LA019), Oct 21, 2026: Boeing 777-222 (N769UA), Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean), investigation ongoing
- [NTSB DCA27WA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA27WA009), Oct 9, 2026: Airbus A320-214 (N207FR), Kingston, Jamaica, incident
- [NTSB DCA26WA371](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA371), Sep 17, 2026: Boeing 787 (VH-VKH), Pacific Ocean, Vietnam, incident
- [NTSB DCA26WA338](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA338), Aug 22, 2026: Boeing 737 (HL8061), Hongseong, South Korea, no damage
- [NTSB DCA26WA379](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA379), Aug 10, 2026: Boeing 737 (SP-LYD), Warsaw, Poland
- [NTSB DCA26WA331](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA331), Aug 10, 2026: Airbus A321 (VH-OFS), Royal National Park, Australia, incident
- [NTSB DCA26WA341](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA341), Aug 2, 2026: Boeing 747 (VQ-BBM), Changzhi, China, incident, no damage
- [NTSB DCA26WA328](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA328), Jul 21, 2026: Boeing 737 (JA335J), Higashiizu, Japan
- [NTSB DCA26LA286](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26LA286), Jul 16, 2026: Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LL (N271SY), Sanford, FL, no damage. Probable cause: An encounter with convectively induced turbulence during cruise flight in an area of forecast thunderstorm activity.
- [NTSB DCA26WA277](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA277), Jul 9, 2026: Airbus A320 (G-EUUM), Longford, United Kingdom, incident

NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008; earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes and aren't counted.

Findings: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings.md. Defining events: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events.md. Phases of flight: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases.md. Every investigation, filtered by finding, event, phase, state, year or model: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb.md (for example ?state=MI&fatal=1).

NTSB's definitions: Accident and incident, 49 CFR 830.2 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-830/subpart-A/section-830.2), CICTT occurrence categories (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/OccurrenceCategoryDefinitions.pdf), CICTT phases of flight (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/PhaseofFlightDefinitions.pdf), and NTSB coding manual, before 2008 (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). NTSB publishes no definitions for its findings, only their names.

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