- Date
- September 10, 2011, 06:55 local (06:55 UTC)
- Place
- Yakota, Japan
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 36 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N71CXDouglas DC-8-62F
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Windshear or thunderstorm
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110910026389A
- Case key
- 81764
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The passenger's decision to ignore the fasten seatbelt sign, resulting in serious injury to the passenger during a turbulence encounter.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The transport-category airplane was in international airspace, cruising at flight level 270 in the vicinity of thunderstorms, when the captain reported that he illuminated the cabin fasten seatbelt sign and ordered the cabin crew to take their seats and remain seated. The airplane then entered an area of continuous moderate turbulence. Fifteen minutes into the turbulence encounter, a passenger who did not have her seatbelt fastened sustained serious injury when she struck the ceiling of the airplane and then the armrest of her seat and the floor. The captain declared a medical emergency and diverted to the nearest airport. The passenger was hospitalized in excess of 48 hours.
Factual narrative
The transport category airplane was in international airspace cruising at flight level 270 in the vicinity of thunderstorms, when the captain reported he illuminated the cabin fasten seatbelt sign, and ordered the cabin crew to take their seats and remain seated. The airplane then entered an area of continuous moderate turbulence. Fifteen minutes into the turbulence encounter, a passenger, who did not have her seatbelt fastened, sustained serious injury when she struck the ceiling of the airplane, and then the armrest of her seat and the floor. The captain declared a medical emergency, and diverted to the nearest airport. The passenger was hospitalized in excess of 48 hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71CX
- Reported as
- Douglas DC-8-62F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 45961
- Airframe hours
- 75,783
- Engines
- P & W JT3D-3&3B, 18,000 lbs thrust, turbo jetP & W JT3D-3&3B, 18,000 lbs thrust, turbo jetP & W JT3D-3&3B, 18,000 lbs thrust, turbo jetP & W JT3D-7&3B, 18,000 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Air Transport International LLC, doing business as Air Transport International
- Registered owner
- Cargo Aircraft Management Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 8, 2010
- Departed
- WASP · Singapore
- Destination
- RJTY · Tokyo
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16,571 total · 9,305 in this make and model · 6,689 as pilot in command
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 15, 2011
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 12,125 total · 570 in this make and model · 4,038 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 162 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.