- Date
- May 4, 1991, 17:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- Memphis, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 11 minor, 104 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N651USBoeing B767-287ER
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910504062889A
- Case key
- 8402
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 delayed inflight decision by the pilot to maneuver the aircraft away from thunderstorm activity.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The flight was in level cruise flight at FL430. There was significant level 6 thunderstom activity in the immediate vicinity of the tolsa VOR at the time of the accident, and sigmets had been issued to and received by the flight crew advising of this activity. The flight crew stated that the only weather being depicted by their on board weather radar was 40 miles from their position at the time of the accident and not in their flight path. According to transcripts of their conversation with air traffic control personnel, approximately five miles west of the tulsa VOR and two minutes prior to the accident, the flight crew requested and received permission to deviate from the assigned course in order to avoid buildups in their flight path. The flight encountered severe turbulence for a period of about 10 to 20 seconds. The aircraft descended 3500 feet before the flight crew was able to regain control of the aircraft's descent. The flight then diverted to Memphis, Tennessee in order to obgain medical attention for those persons injured in the cabin section of the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N651US
- Reported as
- Boeing B767-287ER
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24764
- Engine
- GE CF6-80C2-B2, 49,140 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Usair
- Registered owner
- Usair
- Departed
- LAX · Los Angeles, CA
- Destination
- CLT · Charlotte, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 18,500 total · 1,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 15 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUL, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.