# Clear air turbulence encounter

- Type: NTSB defining event
- NTSB code: 362
- CICTT category: Turbulence
- Defining event in: 22 cases
- In the sequence of: 24 cases
- Fatal cases: 0
- All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/362/cases.md
- Cases with it anywhere in the sequence: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/362/sequence.md
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/362

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

- 2008: 2 / 2
- 2009: 1 / 2
- 2010: 5 / 5
- 2011: 1 / 1
- 2012: 1 / 1
- 2013: 1 / 1
- 2015: 1 / 1
- 2016: 1 / 1
- 2017: 2 / 2
- 2019: 1 / 1
- 2020: 0 / 1
- 2021: 1 / 1
- 2022: 1 / 1
- 2024: 2 / 2
- 2026: 2 / 2

## Phase of flight

- Enroute-descent: 9 cases
- Enroute-cruise: 8 cases
- Enroute: 2 cases
- Approach-IFR final approach: 1 cases
- Approach: 1 cases
- Enroute-change of cruise level: 1 cases

## In the probable cause of these cases

- [Clear air turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032015) (Environmental issues): 15 cases
- [Use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015) (Personnel issues): 2 cases
- [Passenger compartment equip](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022520) (Aircraft): 2 cases
- [Terrain induced turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010) (Environmental issues): 1 cases
- [Incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015) (Personnel issues): 1 cases
- [Airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010) (Aircraft): 1 cases
- [Aircraft capability, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01061000) (Aircraft): 1 cases

## Aircraft models (registry)

- [Airbus A319-132](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-a319-132): 1 cases
- [Airbus Industrie A320-232](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-industrie-a320-232): 1 cases
- [Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-s-a-erj-170-200-lr): 1 cases
- [Embraer EMB-135KL](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-emb-135kl): 1 cases
- [Dehavilland DHC-8-202](https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-8-202): 1 cases
- [Cessna 680](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-680): 1 cases
- [Bombardier BD-100-1A10](https://openairdocs.org/model/bombardier-bd-100-1a10): 1 cases
- [Boeing 787-9](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-787-9): 1 cases
- [Boeing 767-328](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-767-328): 1 cases
- [Boeing 767-322](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-767-322): 1 cases

## Newest cases

- [NTSB DCA27LA014](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA27LA014), Oct 12, 2026: Boeing 777 (G-VIIT), Orlando, FL, occurrence, no damage, investigation ongoing
- [NTSB DCA26LA340](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26LA340), Aug 27, 2026: Airbus A319-132 (N884UA), Houston, TX, no damage, investigation ongoing
- [NTSB DCA25LA045](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25LA045), Nov 20, 2024: Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR (N85352), Warnock, OH, no damage, investigation ongoing
- [NTSB DCA24WA298](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA24WA298), Sep 4, 2024: Boeing 787 (JA863J), Tokyo, Japan, minor damage
- [NTSB CEN22LA166](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA166), Mar 29, 2022: Beech B200 (N469SL), Odessa, TX, no damage. Probable cause: The airplane’s encounter with severe clear air turbulence that was not forecasted, which resulted in a serious injury to an unrestrained passenger.
- [NTSB ERA22LA088](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA088), Nov 21, 2021: Bombardier BD-100-1A10 (N743QS), Atlantic Ocean, Turks & Caicos Islands, no damage. Probable cause: The airplane’s encounter with moderate clear air turbulence which resulted in a serious injury to one unrestrained passenger.
- [NTSB DCA19CA198](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA19CA198), Aug 8, 2019: Airbus A320 (N505JB), Charlottesville, VA, no damage. Probable cause: an inadvertent encounter with clear air turbulence.
- [NTSB DCA18CA007](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA18CA007), Oct 15, 2017: Boeing 767 328 (N342AX), Honolulu, HI, no damage. Probable cause: an inadvertent encounter of clear air turbulence.
- [NTSB DCA17WA154](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA17WA154), Jul 1, 2017: Boeing 787-9 (N29968), Fukushima, Japan, no damage
- [NTSB DCA16CA181](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA16CA181), Mar 15, 2016: Boeing 737 724 (N23708), Port Arthur, TX, no damage. Probable cause: an inadvertent encounter with clear air turbulence.

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.

---
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.